Windows on the Past: Laser Scanning (LIDAR) Survey of Ely Cathedral, Cambridgeshire, UK

The dataset consists of a group of point cloud models of the South Transept at Ely Cathedral in Cambridgeshire, UK. These were generated from a laser scanning (LIDAR) survey conducted on 22nd June 2024. The survey was undertaken as part of the Windows on the Past: Digital Analysis of Window Design in Later Medieval England (1200-1300) project, funded by the Paul Mellon Centre. Its Principal Investigator was James Hillson during the time was a Lecturer in Architectural History at the University of Edinburgh (2023-24).

The aim of the project was to use laser scanning data to analyse window design processes, focusing on the critical period of the introduction of bar tracery into medieval England (c. 1200-1300). This resulted in both RAW scanning data and processed point clouds for two key sites in East Anglia: Binham Priory (Norfolk, UK) and the South Transept at Ely Cathedral (Cambridgeshire, UK). The dataset provided here consists of the RAW scanning data and the processed point cloud data for Ely Cathedral, made publicly available in .e57 format for any non-commercial purpose.

Further details regarding the dataset and the surveying process can be found in the accompanying .xls spreadsheet.

The dataset for the South Transept at Ely Cathedral can also be found on Edinburgh DataShare.