The Stained Glass Museum

The Stained Glass Museum The Stained Glass Museum is the only museum dedicated to the art of stained glass in the UK. Located in the heights of Ely Cathedral, Ely, Cambridgshire.
(3)

The Stained Glass Museum is the only museum in the UK dedicated to displaying and interpreting the art of stained glass to the public. The Stained Glass Museum is an independent museum and registered charity (no. 1169842) in the UK. The museum was founded in 1972 initially to rescue windows from redundant churches. The Museum first opened to the public in the north triforium of Ely Cathedral in 19

79. In 1997 an Appeal was set up to rebuild the Museum in the south triforium of Ely Cathedral. Our collection spans an enormous chronological range, showing the development of stained glass from the thirteenth to the twenty-first century. The Museum also has a growing collection of tools, and stained glass designs and cartoons related to the design and making of stained glass windows. A specialist library is available to researchers by appointment.

Opening on Tuesday 2 June, we're delighted to share our next exhibition: Alexa Kanarowski at The Stained Glass Museum!Li...
29/05/2026

Opening on Tuesday 2 June, we're delighted to share our next exhibition: Alexa Kanarowski at The Stained Glass Museum!

Light, glass, photography, and the overlooked details of everyday life come together in this exhibition of Alexa Kanarowski’s work. Blending traditional stained glass techniques with contemporary image making, Kanarowski transforms familiar landscapes. From front gardens to cityscapes, the domestic details are vividly reflected in these pieces.

Drawing on the rich visual language of stained glass alongside photography and sculptural processes, her work plays with transparency, reflection, pattern, and light.

Rooted in an acute sense of place and materiality, this exhibition invites viewers to slow down and look closer at the beauty, tension, and quiet quirks embedded in our daily lives.

Currently completing her MFA at Oxford University’s The Ruskin School of Art, Kanarowski brings together craft heritage and contemporary culture in a practice that feels intimate, playful, and sharply observant. This exhibition offers a fresh, immersive encounter with landscapes we think we know.

Included with your usual admission, this exhibition runs until 25 July 2026.

Visit: alexakanarowski.com

Our current exhibition, Goddard & Gibbs: To the East closes this weekend.

Late last year, the museum shared the excellent news that we had been awarded a major new grant from The Julia Rausing T...
28/05/2026

Late last year, the museum shared the excellent news that we had been awarded a major new grant from The Julia Rausing Trust! This grant will allow us, over the next three years, to improve collections care through a range of ongoing conservation work, whilst also providing opportunities for training and public engagement around the care and conservation of stained glass.

We are delighted to announce that we have now appointed a specialist stained glass conservator to lead the conservation cleaning part of our ‘Preserving a Stained Glass Legacy’ project.

Isabelle Davies trained in Stained Glass Conservation and Heritage Management at the University of York, during which she gained experience at The York Glaziers Trust. Isabelle subsequently worked at Reyntiens Glass Studio in London, and at The Cathedral Studios at Canterbury Cathedral. She also has her own freelance conservation and art practice, Iota Glass, and is an Icon Stained Glass accreditation Pathway Member.

Isabelle says “I am very excited to be working on such a significant project with the rest of the Museum’s great team. This is a rare and timely opportunity to conserve and promote not only the Museum’s nationally designated collection, but also the wider heritage craft of stained glass. More personally, it is very special to be joining as my first visit to the Museum and its collection in 2019 confirmed to me how incredible this art form is and that I was set on pursuing it as a key part of my career and life going forward! I would love for this project to inspire many more similar ‘enlightenments’!”

Please join us in welcoming Isabelle to the museum’s team - we're excited to share more about her work over the coming years, so make sure you're following our page to see the updates!

We've always known that The Stained Glass Museum is one of the coolest places to visit in Ely, but during this heatwave,...
27/05/2026

We've always known that The Stained Glass Museum is one of the coolest places to visit in Ely, but during this heatwave, this is especially true 😎

This summer, enjoy a break from the heat, (or perhaps an escape from the rain might be more accurate!) in the cool temperatures of the Cathedral and explore our beautiful, nationally designated, collection.

This summer, we're also opening on some selected 'Summer Sunday' afternoons, so do pop in to visit or amazing collection, browse the shop, or simply enjoy the beautiful views of the Cathedral from the triforium level.

We'll be open every other Sunday in June, July and August ☀️

Hurry, we still have a few places left for our family glass fusing session tomorrow afternoon, Tuesday May 26th 1:30-3:0...
25/05/2026

Hurry, we still have a few places left for our family glass fusing session tomorrow afternoon, Tuesday May 26th 1:30-3:00. Come out of the heat into the cool temperatures here in the Stained Glass Museum. Find us just inside Ely Cathedral.
Parents and carers come and enjoy an afternoon of creativity with your family.
Book here https://the-stained-glass-museum.myshopify.com/products/childrens-summer-holiday-crafts-family-fusing. Just £18 per participant, suitable for beginners. Children need to be 7 years +

Wilhelmina Geddes was an important figure in the Irish Arts and Crafts movement and 20th century British stained glass r...
25/05/2026

Wilhelmina Geddes was an important figure in the Irish Arts and Crafts movement and 20th century British stained glass revival. She was born in 1887 in Leitrim, Ireland.

Following her studies at the he Belfast School of Art, she worked at the two leading Arts and Crafts cooperative stained glass studios in Britain in the early 20th century, An Túr Gloine (Tower of Glass) in Dublin (founded 1903) and The Glass House (Lowndes & Drury) in London (founded 1906).

She was amongst the first generation of women stained glass artists who benefitted from professional training, achieving recognition in their own right, and whose careers benefitted from increased commissions in the periods after the First and Second World Wars.

The Faith, Hope and Charity window was designed and cartooned in 1955 and turned out to be Geddes’ final commission. The window was made to Geddes’ designs shortly after her death by friend and colleague at The Glass House, Charles F. Blakeman (1907-1989) in 1956. In the same year the three-light window was installed in the north aisle of St Paul’s Church, Battersea. In 1972 St Paul’s Church was united with nearby St Peter’s and Geddes’ Faith, Hope and Charity window was blocked and boarded up. The window was removed when the church was sold for mixed development and converted into private residencies and a nursery, c.2015.

According to Christian theology and philosophy, the three theological virtues of Faith, Hope and Charity (Love) are associated with salvation resulting from the grace of God. There is a long tradition in Christian art of depicting vices and virtues and these subjects are prominent in medieval stained glass. From the 18th century onwards, the virtues of Faith, Hope and Charity were especially popular moralising subjects and appear as female allegories in both religious paintings and stained glass windows.

Geddes was a modern artist with spiritual vision, and her unique interpretation of this popular subject is full of symbolism and theological meaning.

Geddes also designed windows, book illustrations, embroidered panels and linocut prints in the expressive, angular, attenuated figural style seen in this small cabinet panel, also on display at the museum. This panel shows the angel visiting Joseph to tell him to marry Mary and then to travel to Egypt. In this small inward-looking scene Joseph is asleep, revealing Geddes’ interest in different states of consciousness.

Over the upcoming May bank holiday weekend, The Stained Glass Museum will be open as usual on Saturday 23 May and Monday...
22/05/2026

Over the upcoming May bank holiday weekend, The Stained Glass Museum will be open as usual on Saturday 23 May and Monday 25 May.

Did you know on your visit to the museum you can;

✨ Explore over 140 beautiful stained glass windows at eye level? They come to the museum collection from across the UK, Europe and beyond and are from a range of secular and sacred places!

✨ See works of art by a range of artists from medieval to modern! Get up close to pieces by William Morris, William de Morgan, Edward Burne-Jones, Dante Gabriel Rossetti as well as pieces by contemporary artists including Kehinde Wiley, Pinkie Maclure and Grace Ayson.

✨ Following our recent redevelopment, at the end of 2024, there are now lots of new pieces too see - many of which had never been on display! Did you know we also increased the number of displayed works by known women artists by over a third too?

✨ There's loads of things for children (and adults alike!) to enjoy - have fun at the light box, dress up as a figure from a window, design your own heraldic shield at the magnet board & lots, lots more!

✨ Find the perfect gift and/or treat for yourself in our gift shop! We stock a great range of independent artists, books and stationery 🛍️

✨ Your ticket, which for adults is just £6.50 is valid for a whole year too! Don't forget, accompanied children enjoy free entry too! Art Fund members enjoy free entry as well

There are still a few places available on our Glass Fusing Workshops at The Stained Glass Museum this Friday with our br...
11/05/2026

There are still a few places available on our Glass Fusing Workshops at The Stained Glass Museum this Friday with our brilliant tutor, molten wonky by Katie Lynn. Join us from 10am - 2pm for this half-day workshop and make your own fantastic pieces to take home.

Katie Lynn is firmly of the belief that EVERYONE is capable of creating and making something beautiful from glass! She wants you all to enjoy experimenting with colourful glass and to make your very own products and decorations that you can use and enjoy at home.

During this 4 hour workshop, Katie will introduce you to principles and techniques used in fused glass art. This will include glass cutting, fusing clear and coloured glass, using fritt, stringers and noodles, with special emphasis on the construction of designs. You will then use this knowledge to create your own unique glass pieces, such as coasters, a set of bunting, or a suncatcher.

This is a hands-on workshop, with no previous experience necessary - it is ideal for complete novices and for those with more experience under their belts alike.

Find out more and book online here: https://the-stained-glass-museum.myshopify.com/products/half-day-fusing-workshop-with-katie-lynn-molten-wonky

Today is VE Day, and it was on this day in 1945 that, after 6 long years of war, Winston Churchill declared Allied victo...
08/05/2026

Today is VE Day, and it was on this day in 1945 that, after 6 long years of war, Winston Churchill declared Allied victory in Europe.

This panel, which was generously donated by the artist, Sir Brian Clarke to mark the museum’s 40th birthday in 2019, features the spitfire.

The Spitfire is one of the most iconic and recognisable British aircraft associated with World War II, its superior speed and agility gave the RAF a critical edge over the Luftwaffe during a number of crucial battles, including the Battle of Britain.

For innovative artist Brian Clarke the distinctive form of the Spitfire has provided the inspiration for a number of artworks on paper, canvas and in architectural and autonomous glass works since 2010, treating the shape as an heraldic emblem like the medieval fleur-de-lis.

Spitfires is one of a series of seventy unique panels made by Clarke – the first autonomous works in stained glass to combine the techniques of water-jet-cutting, ceramic glaze-printing and lamination – each showing the aircraft in the same formation, but with different Spitfires illuminated in glorious colour.

The artist and designer of this panel, Sir Brian Clarke (1953-2025) was the son of an Oldham coal miner and has become one of the leading exponents of architectural stained glass in Britain. Inspired by the work of Johannes Schreiter, John Piper and Henri Matisse, Clarke has worked consistently in an abstract geometric style often on a vast scale, winning international acclaim and commissions from Riyadh to Rio de Janeiro.

Brian Clarke, who alongside his work in glass, is also celebrated for his work on canvas, sculpture, mosaics and tapestry. Since the early 1970s, Clarke has collaborated with some of the world’s most prominent architects to create stained glass designs and installations for hundreds of projects worldwide.

Our Goddard & Gibbs: To the East exhibition is now in its final month, so do come along and see examples from our rarely...
05/05/2026

Our Goddard & Gibbs: To the East exhibition is now in its final month, so do come along and see examples from our rarely seen collection of designs!

From glowing mosque windows to the splendour of royal palaces, coloured glass has played a dazzling role in the Islamic world for over a thousand years. Some of the earliest surviving examples date back to the 8th–10th centuries, during the Umayyad Caliphate, when light, colour and geometry were combined to striking effect. These works built on ancient Middle Eastern glassmaking traditions and were shaped by the skills of Byzantine and Sasanian artisans.

Centuries later, this rich visual language continued to inspire artists and designers. In the 1980s and beyond, the London based Goddard & Gibbs Studio expanded its international reach, creating stained glass for mosques, palaces and private homes across the Middle East.

This exhibition brings together a selection of their stained glass designs, beautiful preparatory drawings that reveal the creative process behind these ambitious commissions. Alongside them, discover the story of stained glass across the Islamic world and explore highlights from the museum’s significant, but rarely seen collection.

Today is the May Day bank holiday and in towns and villages across the country, people enjoy getting together and part...
04/05/2026

Today is the May Day bank holiday and in towns and villages across the country, people enjoy getting together and partaking in many English traditions such choosing a 'May Queen' and Morris dancing!

The May Queen is typically a young girl who leads the May Day parade and is said to be the personification of spring time. As depicted in this panel, the May Queen typically wears a white dress and a floral crown.

This panel from the collection at The Stained Glass Museum depicts a May Queen and was designed by George Parlby and made by Thomas Cowell, it was likely painted by Cowell too. It was made in 1900 in Cowell's studio in Surrey.

George Parlby designed stained glass for many studios including: Curtis, Ward and Hughes, and James Powell and Sons, where he was the principal glass painter. During the first half of the 20th century Cowell also worked independently.

Known for his Bohemian manners and style of dress, he was a member of The Worshipful Company of Glaziers and Painters of Glass and became Master of The Art Workers Guild in 1942.

A reminder that today, this May Day bank holiday, The Stained Glass Museum is open until 5pm for you to enjoy our beautiful gallery

During the upcoming bank holiday weekends in May, The Stained Glass Museum will be open on both Saturday and Monday! ...
01/05/2026

During the upcoming bank holiday weekends in May, The Stained Glass Museum will be open on both Saturday and Monday! We'll be open as usual from 10am - 5pm

This is the perfect opportunity to explore our beautiful gallery and enjoy the chance to see over 140 illuminated stained glass windows at eye level. Our collection spans over 800 years, from the medieval to the modern!

There is lots to enjoy for all ages too, with fun activities throughout the gallery for families, including dressing up, being creative at the light box and lots of stories to enjoy!

Download our free digital guide which includes videos, an audio guide and much more available via our Bloomberg Connects page or via our website here: https://bit.ly/3xZYs2P

Address

Ely Cathedral
Ely
CB74DL

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 5pm
Tuesday 10am - 5pm
Wednesday 10am - 5pm
Thursday 10am - 5pm
Friday 10am - 5pm
Saturday 10am - 5pm

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when The Stained Glass Museum posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Museum

Send a message to The Stained Glass Museum:

Shortcuts

Share