The City of Wells

Wells Cathedral – Bishops Palace – Vicars Close.

The city of Wells is exceptionally picturesque and holds many hidden and not-so-hidden gems!

Explore its fantastically fascinating buildings, which include the grand Cathedral and Vicar’s Close, which dates back hundreds of years. Hear the clock strike as you witness the oldest surviving original clocks of their type in the world. Visit the Bishop’s palace, with its moat and beautiful gardens and meet the famous swans who once rang a bell for their dinner, before they drove the locals a little mad! And finally, discover the three natural springs, which gave Wells its name.

Wells Cathedral

Built between 1175 and 1490, Wells Cathedral has been described as “the most poetic of the English Cathedrals”. It boasts a magnificent clock from 1390, a beautiful 14th Century-stained glass ‘Jesse Window’, and its famous Scissor Arches.

14th Century Vicars Close

A visit to the Cathedral would not be complete without a viewing of this Close. Built over 650 years ago to house the Vicars’ Choral, this continues to be inhabited by their successors today. Vicars’ Close is the oldest intact medieval street in Europe (1348) still used for its original purpose.

Wells Bishops Palace and Gardens

Explore the ruined Great Hall and the beautiful gardens with the natural springs that have created the “wells”, which the city is named after. Established in the early 13th Century, this is still the home to the Bishops of Bath and Wells.