GAZATTEER

Ely has one of the largest surviving collections of medieval, monastic buildings, still in use. When Henry VIII dissolved the monasteries, he created the King’s School in Ely.

The school occupies many of the medieval buildings that once belonged to the abbey cathedral. One of the most impressive of these is the monastic barn, next to the south gate of the precinct. Built c.1357, it has 10 bays, is approximately 25 feet wide and 160 feet long. An upper floor has been inserted and the barn was converted into a gym and workshops in 1922, before its current function as the school dining room.