Sheep, turkeys and rare breed chickens were taken into Ely Cathedral over the weekend, for the annual harvest festival event that celebrated all facets of farming.

Cambs Times: Ely Cathedral Harvest Festival, Ashwin from Ely with some sugar beetEly Cathedral Harvest Festival, Ashwin from Ely with some sugar beet (Image: Archant)

The cathedral was packed with visitors who came to view the stunning displays, which included more than 30 exhibits of fruit and flowers as well as presentations by farming organisations.

Cambs Times: Ely Cathedral Harvest Festival preperations, Flower Guild Members (l-r) Marie Twin, Grace Bent, Ann Middleton, Angela Caulston, Margaret GeorgeEly Cathedral Harvest Festival preperations, Flower Guild Members (l-r) Marie Twin, Grace Bent, Ann Middleton, Angela Caulston, Margaret George (Image: Archant)

The theme of this year’s festival was ‘Celebrating the Fruits of the Field.’

Exhibits by farming company G’s, the National Farmers’ Union, Cambridge Bee Keepers Association, and the Farmland Museum at Denny Abbey were among the attractions that adorned the cathedral’s medieval nave.

Pens were set up at the west end to accommodate the livestock which included Wiltshire Horn sheep, Norfolk Black turkeys and several rare breed chickens.

There was a special display under the octagon, showing a selection of animals made from fruit and vegetables, by local school children.

All proceeds from this year’s event will go to The Royal Agricultural Benevolent Association and the Ely Food Bank.

A spokesman for the cathedral said: “We are very grateful to the many local organisations and businesses who support of this event, particularly the NFU. “Historically this cathedral has supported, and been supported by, its rural surroundings.

“The building provides the perfect setting for a Harvest event on this scale, bringing people in from across the county to demonstrate the contribution of farming and agriculture, on every level, to the local community”.