Wells is the smallest Cathedral city in England and is very much a regional centre with its twice weekly market and good range of small specialist shops.
It is a delightful small town to wander round with cathedral, ruined bishop’s palace, old gateways, cobbled streets and medieval architecture. It has managed to avoid the tourist crowds of places like nearby Cheddar or Bath.
Its name comes from the wells that can be found around the Bishop’s Palace. The area has been inhabited since Roman times and was an important Anglo-Saxon settlement with a minster, and became a bishopric in the C10th. King Æthelstan was crowned here. A choir of boys was formed to sing the liturgy and the Wells Cathedral Choir School dates from then. The original school was housed above the cathedral cloisters before moving into the Chancellor’s House on the Cathedral Green, adjacent to the museum.
The present building is on The Liberty and is a thriving school, educating both boys and girls up to the age of 18.
The bishopric moved to Bath after the Norman Conquest, and the Saxon building became a college of secular clergy. The present cathedral building dates from the end of the C12th when the seat of the bishop moved between Wells and the abbeys of Glastonbury and Bath, before settling at Wells.
The Bishop’s Palace was built next to the Cathedral in the C14th.It is reached through The Bishop’s Eye gatehouse off the market place, still with its heavy wood doors that could be shut at night.
As well as the residence of church officials, it also doubled as the town’s citadel in case of attack, being built with defensive towers, crenelated walls and a water-filled moat. The swans have been trained to ring the gatehouse bell for food.
There is free access into the grounds, cafe and shop, but a charge to enter the palace with its ruined great hall and private chapel.
To the south west of the Bishop’s Palace is the Bishop’s Barn, a C15th tithe barn which is n ow used for community events.
Cont...
It is a delightful small town to wander round with cathedral, ruined bishop’s palace, old gateways, cobbled streets and medieval architecture. It has managed to avoid the tourist crowds of places like nearby Cheddar or Bath.
Its name comes from the wells that can be found around the Bishop’s Palace. The area has been inhabited since Roman times and was an important Anglo-Saxon settlement with a minster, and became a bishopric in the C10th. King Æthelstan was crowned here. A choir of boys was formed to sing the liturgy and the Wells Cathedral Choir School dates from then. The original school was housed above the cathedral cloisters before moving into the Chancellor’s House on the Cathedral Green, adjacent to the museum.
The present building is on The Liberty and is a thriving school, educating both boys and girls up to the age of 18.
The bishopric moved to Bath after the Norman Conquest, and the Saxon building became a college of secular clergy. The present cathedral building dates from the end of the C12th when the seat of the bishop moved between Wells and the abbeys of Glastonbury and Bath, before settling at Wells.
The Bishop’s Palace was built next to the Cathedral in the C14th.It is reached through The Bishop’s Eye gatehouse off the market place, still with its heavy wood doors that could be shut at night.
As well as the residence of church officials, it also doubled as the town’s citadel in case of attack, being built with defensive towers, crenelated walls and a water-filled moat. The swans have been trained to ring the gatehouse bell for food.
There is free access into the grounds, cafe and shop, but a charge to enter the palace with its ruined great hall and private chapel.
To the south west of the Bishop’s Palace is the Bishop’s Barn, a C15th tithe barn which is n ow used for community events.
Cont...
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