DOI: 10.7488/ds/7784
title: Windows on the Past: Laser Scanning (LIDAR) Survey of Ely Cathedral, Cambridgeshire, UK
title: Windows on the Past: Digital Analysis of Window Design in Later Medieval England (1200-1300)

description: 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.
description: The files are organised as follows: Group 1 - Finding Aids and Metadata [2 files, .xls and .jpg format] • WotP_Ely_Cathedral_point_cloud_metadata.xls - Spreadsheet of metadata for scanning process and point clouds. • WotP_Ely_Cathedral_Site_Plan_Bay_and_Window_Key.jpg - Plan identifying bay positions for point clouds. Group 2 - Interior Point Cloud Models [7 files, .e57 format] • WotP_Ely_Cathedral_point_cloud_interior_S10_3.e57 - Processed point cloud model for interior of South Transept at Ely Cathedral, Bay S10.3. • WotP_Ely_Cathedral_point_cloud_interior_S11_1.e57 - Processed point cloud model for interior of South Transept at Ely Cathedral, Bay S11.1. • WotP_Ely_Cathedral_point_cloud_interior_S11_2.e57 - Processed point cloud model for interior of South Transept at Ely Cathedral, Bay S11.2. • WotP_Ely_Cathedral_point_cloud_interior_S11_3.e57 - Processed point cloud model for interior of South Transept at Ely Cathedral, Bay S11.3. • WotP_Ely_Cathedral_point_cloud_interior_S12_1.e57 - Processed point cloud model for interior of South Transept at Ely Cathedral, Bay S12.1. • WotP_Ely_Cathedral_point_cloud_interior_S12_2.e57 - Processed point cloud model for interior of South Transept at Ely Cathedral, Bay S12.2. • WotP_Ely_Cathedral_point_cloud_interior_S12_3.e57 - Processed point cloud model for interior of South Transept at Ely Cathedral, Bay S12.3. Group 3 - Exterior Point Cloud Models [1 file, .e57 format] • WotP_Ely_Cathedral_point_cloud_exterior_S10_1-3.e57 - Processed point cloud model for exterior of South Transept at Ely Cathedral, east wall, Bays S10.1, S10.2 and S10.3. Group 4 - Interior RAW Point Clouds [13 files, .e57 format] • WotP_Ely_Cathedral _RAW_point_cloud_WR3-18-516.e57 - RAW point cloud data for interior of South Transept at Ely Cathedral (1 of 13 setups). • WotP_Ely_Cathedral _RAW_point_cloud_WR3-18-517.e57 - RAW point cloud data for interior of South Transept at Ely Cathedral (2 of 13 setups). • WotP_Ely_Cathedral _RAW_point_cloud_WR3-18-518.e57 - RAW point cloud data for interior of South Transept at Ely Cathedral (3 of 13 setups). • WotP_Ely_Cathedral _RAW_point_cloud_WR3-18-519.e57 - RAW point cloud data for interior of South Transept at Ely Cathedral (4 of 13 setups). • WotP_Ely_Cathedral _RAW_point_cloud_WR3-18-521.e57 - RAW point cloud data for interior of South Transept at Ely Cathedral (5 of 13 setups). • WotP_Ely_Cathedral _RAW_point_cloud_WR3-18-522.e57 - RAW point cloud data for interior of South Transept at Ely Cathedral (6 of 13 setups). • WotP_Ely_Cathedral _RAW_point_cloud_WR3-18-523.e57 - RAW point cloud data for interior of South Transept at Ely Cathedral (7 of 13 setups). • WotP_Ely_Cathedral _RAW_point_cloud_WR3-18-524.e57 - RAW point cloud data for interior of South Transept at Ely Cathedral (8 of 13 setups). • WotP_Ely_Cathedral _RAW_point_cloud_WR3-18-525.e57 - RAW point cloud data for interior of South Transept at Ely Cathedral (9 of 13 setups). • WotP_Ely_Cathedral _RAW_point_cloud_WR3-18-526.e57 - RAW point cloud data for interior of South Transept at Ely Cathedral (10 of 13 setups). • WotP_Ely_Cathedral _RAW_point_cloud_WR3-18-527.e57 - RAW point cloud data for interior of South Transept at Ely Cathedral (11 of 13 setups). • WotP_Ely_Cathedral _RAW_point_cloud_WR3-18-528.e57 - RAW point cloud data for interior of South Transept at Ely Cathedral (12 of 13 setups). • WotP_Ely_Cathedral _RAW_point_cloud_WR3-18-529.e57 - RAW point cloud data for interior of South Transept at Ely Cathedral (13 of 13 setups). Group 5 - Exterior RAW Point Clouds [9 files, .e57 format] • WotP_Ely_Cathedral _RAW_point_cloud_WR3-18-531.e57 - RAW point cloud data for exterior of South Transept at Ely Cathedral (1 of 9 setups). • WotP_Ely_Cathedral _RAW_point_cloud_WR3-18-532.e57 - RAW point cloud data for exterior of South Transept at Ely Cathedral (2 of 9 setups). • WotP_Ely_Cathedral _RAW_point_cloud_WR3-18-533.e57 - RAW point cloud data for exterior of South Transept at Ely Cathedral (3 of 9 setups). • WotP_Ely_Cathedral _RAW_point_cloud_WR3-18-535.e57 - RAW point cloud data for exterior of South Transept at Ely Cathedral (4 of 9 setups). • WotP_Ely_Cathedral _RAW_point_cloud_WR3-18-537.e57 - RAW point cloud data for exterior of South Transept at Ely Cathedral (5 of 9 setups). • WotP_Ely_Cathedral_RAW_point_cloud_WR3-18-538.e57 - RAW point cloud data for exterior of South Transept at Ely Cathedral (6 of 9 setups). • WotP_Ely_Cathedral_RAW_point_cloud_WR3-18-539.e57 - RAW point cloud data for exterior of South Transept at Ely Cathedral (7 of 9 setups). • WotP_Ely_Cathedral_RAW_point_cloud_WR3-18-540.e57 - RAW point cloud data for exterior of South Transept at Ely Cathedral (8 of 9 setups). • WotP_Ely_Cathedral_RAW_point_cloud_WR3-18-541.e57 - RAW point cloud data for exterior of South Transept at Ely Cathedral (9 of 9 setups). File structure and descriptions can be found in the following attached spreadsheet (.xls format): • WotP_Ely_Cathedral_point_cloud_metadata.xls The locations of individual models within the building can be identified using the following planimetric map: • WotP_Ely_Cathedral_Site_Plan_Bay_and_Window_Key.jpg