Ely Cathedral

Ely Cathedral is one of Britain’s most recognisable sacred buildings — a place of worship, heritage, learning and community with a rich programme of events, tours and educational activities. Its website needed to serve all those audiences equally well, while making the practicalities of visiting as simple as possible

We worked with the Cathedral team to create a modern digital experience that helps visitors plan their time with confidence, supports staff and volunteers, and reflects the dignity and beauty of the building itself.

Like many historic sites, Ely Cathedral welcomes a broad mix of people: day-trip visitors, families, worshippers, school groups, tourists, event-goers and local residents. Each has slightly different needs and expectations, but they all rely on the website as the first point of contact.

Through workshops with staff and volunteers, a review of common visitor questions, and analysis of user behaviour, several recurring issues emerged:

• Key practical information was hard to find quickly.
• Ticketing for admission and tower tours was confusing.
• Events weren’t always visible at the right point in the user journey.
• Staff often had to field calls or enquiries that the website could have answered.

These insights shaped the foundations of the redesign.

We re-organised the site around clear, intuitive pathways that match how real people plan a visit.

A redesigned ‘Plan Your Visit’ centre

Opening times, ticket information, accessibility details, directions and FAQs were all consolidated into one well-signposted area. This became the primary navigation destination for new visitors.

Streamlined ticketing flows

Admission and specialist tours are now presented in a much clearer way.

The Spektrix integration was rebuilt so that:

• Admission and tours are no longer blended or contradictory.
• Availability is easier to compare.
• Add-ons feel like enhancements, not hidden requirements.
• Fewer steps are required to complete a booking.

This significantly reduces confusion and removes pressure from front-of-house teams.

A design system grounded in place

Ely Cathedral’s visual identity and architectural character informed a design language that’s calm, readable and welcoming — avoiding generic “heritage” clichés while still feeling rooted in the building.

Improved visibility for events and activities

The events calendar is now more connected to relevant pages, helping visitors discover tours, concerts, seasonal programmes and exhibitions at natural moments in their journey.

Within weeks of launch, the new site demonstrated clear improvements in visitor behaviour. Operationally, the team reported fewer confused queries about ticket types and opening times, and far more visitors arriving already informed and prepared.

The platform was designed for ongoing evolution. Upcoming phases include improvements to retail, extended event management tools and new fundraising and membership journeys.

Ely Cathedral now has a digital presence that supports its immediate needs while giving it the flexibility to adapt as visitor expectations, programmes and resources change.

Although every organisation is unique, the principles behind this project apply broadly across the all large-scale visitor attractions:

• Make orientation and planning effortless.
• Keep ticketing crystal clear, especially where multiple experiences exist.
• Support staff and volunteers by reducing unnecessary admin.
• Present heritage, worship and cultural programmes with equal clarity.
• Build on a platform that can evolve, not just launch and sit still.

Ely Cathedral’s new website demonstrates how thoughtful digital design can enhance both the visitor journey and the day-to-day operations of a complex historic site.