Excerpt from The English Illustrated Magazine, Vol. 39: April, 1908, to September, 1908 Sussex, Downing, Cavendish, Selwyn, and Ayerst, all present points of interest in various degrees. In addition to the colleges forming part of the University proper, there are two institutions which mere man may only mention, and that with awe and reverence - Girton and Newnham Colleges for ladies. The next point of interest on the cathedral route is Ely, which is situated fifteen miles north-east of Cambridge. In pre Reformation days Ely was the scene of considerable ecclesiastical activity, but during the last two or three centuries the hands of the clock seemed to have been stopped there, and nowadays it 'is a veritable city of sleep. Perhaps that is why so many travelled Englishmen. Who are so well acquainted with most of the great Continental churches, have never visited Ely. Their's is the loss, for Ely's stately fane, as Macaulay calls it, presents the purest specimen of Gothic architecture in this country, or, some competent authorities say, in the world. The fact that Ely is within an hour and three-quarters' journey of London may in a measure account for its strange neglect by tourists. We are all apt to go far afield for our sight-seeing. The writer once came across an old couple at Ely who had just retumed from their first trip to London. They were full of the wonders of the great metropolis; in par ticular, they praised the monuments in St. Paul's Cathedral and Westminster Abbey. But, said the writer, you have a far more magnificent building in your cathedral here. The pair looked at each other in amazement. The old lady found her voice first. Maybe you're right, sir; but me and my old man ain't never been in the cathedral? What! You've lived all your lives at Ely, and have never been in the cathedral? About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.