Where: Ely
Place, EC1
What: The
site of Ely Palace, the London home of the Bishops of Ely in
which John of Gaunt died in 1399. Demolished
in 1772, Ely Place is now a private cul-de-sac of 18th-century
houses, still watched over by a beadle
at the gated entrance. A model
of the palace can be seen in the vaulted undercroft of the church.
The only remains
of the original palace are Ely Chapel, or St. Etheldreda’s
Church, the first pre-Reformation Church to be restored
to Roman Catholic worship. St
Ethelreda's is a typical two-storey medieval private chapel
and is a rare
example of a modern Catholic
congregation occupying a medieval church.
The
west window of this church is
one of the largest windows in London, and dates from 1300.
On the south-west
side
is the original doorway from the palace and below the church
is
a large Crypt dating from around 1250.
Nearest
underground station: Farringdon
London
Hotels (these links are to another website)