Colin Crosby Heritage Tours

Wells

Wells is a small but beautiful cathedral city in Somerset, in the Mendip Hills area near Glastonbury and the spectacular Cheddar Gorge.

With a population of under 9,000, Wells is the smallest of England’s cathedral cities. The cathedral was begun in the late 12th century, although Wells had been the seat of a Bishop from the early 10th century, after which briefly authority passed to Bath. The Diocese is now that of Bath and Wells.

The cathedral has a stunning West Front with a fantastic array of 13th century sculptures of saints. The enormous scissor-braces were inserted in the mid 14th century to stop the tower falling down. There is also a 14th century astronomical clock.

At the beautiful Bishop’s Palace, one of the oldest inhabited houses in England, swans in the moat ring a bell when they are hungry.

Near the cathedral is Vicars Close, the oldest intact 14th century street in Europe.

Wells is also a market town. The Market Place is in the traditional place, just outside the cathedral gateway, and draws visitors from all around the county.