The Building of Wells Cathedral
The site that Wells Cathedral sits on has been traced back to Roman times and the first church to stand here dates back to the early 8th century. Work on the present building did not begin until the 10th century.
It is one of England's smaller Cathedrals but it still took three hundred years to build. When it was finished it astounded all who saw it for its extraordinary beauty. The west front was highly decorated with over 200 statues of kings and angels, biblical characters and saints. Many were painted in bright colours and often trimmed with gold leaf. They are believed to be the largest collection of medieval sculptures in the world. The oldest surviving object in the Cathedral is the stone Saxon font, which is still in use today.
Over the centuries the Wells Cathedral remained remarkably unspoilt. There are many other historic buildings including the moated Bishop's Palace, Vicars' Close, St Cuthbert's Church and a good local museum.
The Cathedral Clock
High up in the north transept of the Cathedral is a fabulous14th century mechanical clock, the second oldest of its kind in England and the third oldest in the world. Its medieval face.shows the sun and moon revolving round a central fixed earth and joisting horsemen who emerge every quarter of an hour to mark the passing of time. Built around 1392, it has been in continuous use ever since.
The mechanism for the Well's clock was replaced in 1838. However the original mechanism is now in the Science Museum.in London.
The Bishop’s Palace
Home to the Bishops of Bath and Wells for 800 years, visitors are welcome to look around the Bishop's private Chapel, explore the ruined Great Hall There are 14 acres of beautiful gardens including St Andrews spring from which the city takes its name.The main palace is open to the public including the chapel and the long gallery. Feeding the swans is fun, as they are trained to ring a bell when they want food.
The City of Wells
Wells is the smallest city in England. It can call itself a city because of its famous 13th century cathedral. The site it sits on dates from Roman times. It is a pretty little place with two markets a week and a good selection of shops, restaurants and pubs.and is worth exploring. It gets its name from springs which are in the gardens of the Bishop's Palace.
The town is situated in the beautiful county of Somerset and is just a short 45 minute drive from the City of Bath and a good base for exploring the area
Approx Distance between Wells and City Of London is 114 miles or 183.43 KMS
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