Wells Cathedral, in Somerset, is considered by many the most beautiful cathedral in England. It was the first in the country built entirely in the Gothic style, and its west front, peopled by hundreds of medieval statues, is one of the great masterpieces of European art. Wells, often called England's smallest city, preserves around the cathedral an extraordinary ensemble: the moated Bishop's Palace, an intact medieval street and the springs that give it its name.
History
The name Wells comes from the springs that rise next to the cathedral: as early as Saxon times, around 705, a church was founded here. The present cathedral was begun around 1175 and consecrated in 1239. Unlike the other great English churches of the time, still partly Romanesque, it was conceived from the outset with pointed arches, marking the birth of English Gothic.
In the 14th century the central tower, too heavy, began to sink. The master mason William Joy found a brilliant solution: the great scissor arches, two arches set one above the other in the shape of an inverted X, which still support the tower today and are the most striking feature of the interior. During the Reformation and the Civil War many statues were damaged, but the west front still has about three hundred original sculptures.
- c. 705A Saxon church is founded by the springs
- c. 1175Building of the Gothic cathedral begins
- 1239The cathedral is consecrated
- 1338William Joy builds the scissor arches
- c. 1390The astronomical clock comes into operation
What to see
The west front and the nave
The west front was once painted in bright colours: its statues depict kings, saints, bishops and scenes from the Last Judgement. Inside, the nave leads to the mighty scissor arches, which look like a work of modern art. In the north transept is the astronomical clock, one of the oldest in the world still working: every quarter of an hour mechanical knights fight a tournament.
The chapter house steps and the cloisters
The chapter house steps, worn by centuries of feet, rise like a wave of stone towards the splendid octagonal chamber, with a central column from which the ribs of the vault spread like the branches of a palm. The cloisters have a small café, and the medieval library holds old chained books.
Vicars' Close
Next to the cathedral, Vicars' Close is considered the oldest purely residential medieval street in Europe still inhabited, with its 14th-century cottages and tall chimneys.
The Bishop's Palace
The Bishop's Palace, home of the bishops for eight centuries, is surrounded by walls and a moat, where swans have learned to ring a bell to ask for food. In the gardens you can see the springs that gave the city its name.
Getting there
- By bus: from Bath and Bristol in about an hour; Wells has no railway station.
- By car: about 40 minutes from Bath and Bristol.
- By air: Bristol Airport is about 30 minutes away.
Nearby
- Glastonbury, with its abbey and the Tor.
- Cheddar Gorge and the caves of Wookey Hole.
- Bath and the Roman Baths.
Tips
- How long: half a day for the cathedral, palace and Vicars' Close.
- When to go: all year round.
- A tip: climb the chapter house steps slowly, looking at the treads: the grooves worn by feet tell eight centuries of history better than any guide.