An absolute gem of Norman architecture. The site dates from the first founding of a monastery by King Peada in 655AD, destroyed in Viking raids and refounded as Benedictine monastery between 960 and 970AD. After a fire in 1116 destroyed the second abbey it was rebuilt between 1118 and 1238. The monastery was surpressed in 1539 with the last abbot being appointed Bshop in the new Diocese of Peterborough in 1541.
A verger allowed me to enter the cathedral very early, 3 hours ahead of the general opening times for the public and so I had the place to myself to enjoy the early morning sun streaming through the stained glass and the lantern windows of the central tower. Magical.
