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Wells Cathedral is the cathedral of the Church of England Diocese of Bath and Wells. Parts date back to the 10th century. It is known for its fine fan vaulted ceilings, Lady Chapel and windows, and the scissor arches which support the central tower. Together with the Bishop's Palace (still used by the Bishop of Bath and Wells) Wells has been an ecclesiastical City of importance for hundreds of years. The cathedral is a grade I listed building.[15]
The cathedral is notable for:
- the west front – said to be the finest collection of statuary in Europe, containing 356 individual figures carved from the cathedral's warm, yellow Doulting stone.
- the east end of the nave – an unusual scissored arch design of striking beauty, which saved the cathedral's central tower from collapse. In 1338, the original construction was found to be weakening underneath the tower (the West side had sunk 100 mm (4 inches). About 1340, the Master Mason, William Joy, implemented his ingenious solution of the inverted arch to redistribute the weight on the foundations by 10% from west to east.
- the Chapter House – at the top of a flight of stone stairs, leading out from the north transept. It is an octagonal building with a fan-vaulted ceiling.[16] It is here that the business of running the cathedral is still conducted by the members of the Chapter, the cathedral's ruling body.
- Wells Cathedral clock is famous for its 24 hour astronomical dial and set of jousting knights that perform every quarter hour.
- the heaviest ring of 10 bells in the world. The tenor bell weighs just over 56 CWT (6,272 lb, 2,844 kg) and is the 5th heaviest ringable bell in the world.[citation needed]
[edit] Tourism and architecture
Wells is a popular tourist destination, due to its historical sites, its proximity to Bath and Stonehenge and its closeness to the Somerset coast. Also nearby are Wookey Hole Caves, the Mendip Hills and the Somerset Levels. Wells is part of the West Country Carnival circuit. Somerset cheese, including Cheddar, is made locally.
A walled precinct, the Liberty of St Andrew, encloses the twelfth century Cathedral, the Bishop's Palace, Vicar's Close and the residences of the clergy who serve the cathedral.
The Bishop's Palace gatehouse and drawbridge
The Bishops Palace has been the home of the Bishops of the Diocese of Bath and Wells for 800 years. The hall and chapel are particularly noteworthy, dating from the 14th century.[17] There are 14 acres (5.7 ha) of gardens including the springs from which the city takes its name. Visitors can also see the Bishop's private Chapel, ruined Great Hall and the Gatehouse with portcullis and drawbridge beside which the famous mute swans ring a bell for food
Vicars' Close – the oldest existing street in the world,[6] which still has the original cobblestoned surface. The Close is tapered by 10 feet (3.0 m) to make it look longer when viewed from the bottom. When viewed from the top, however, it looks shorter.[18][19]
St.Cuthbert Parish Church, Wells
The Church of St. Cuthbert – often mistaken for the cathedral, the church has a fine Somerset stone tower and a superb carved roof. Originally an Early English building (13th century), it was much altered in the Perpendicular period (15th century).[6] The nave's coloured ceiling was repainted in 1963 at the instigation of the then Vicar's wife, Mrs Barnett.[20][21] Until 1561 the church had a central tower which either collapsed or was removed, and has been replaced with the current tower over the west door.[22] Bells were cast for the tower by Roger Purdy.[23]
[edit] Wells in popular culture
[edit] Literature
Elizabeth Goudge used Wells as a basis for the fictional Cathedral city of Torminster, in her book City of Bells
[edit] Film and television
Wells has been used as the setting for several films:
The cathedral interior stood in for Southwark Cathedral during filming for the Doctor Who episode The Lazarus Experiment.
[edit] Notable residents
[edit] References
- , Somerset County Council, Census 2001 (PDF). Retrieved on 2007-09-21.
- , The Well House. Images of England. Retrieved on 2006-08-24.
- , Wells Council Tourism. Retrieved on 2006-09-11.
- , Somerset County Council, Census 2001 (PDF). Retrieved on 2007-09-21.
- , London Gazette, issue no. 46255, April 4, 1974
- , a b c Leete-Hodge, Lornie (1985). Curiosities of Somerset. Bodmin: Bossiney Books, 29. ISBN 0906456983.
- , Robinson, Stephen (1992). Somerset Place Names. Wimbourne: The Dovecote Press Ltd. ISBN 1874336032.
- , Reid, R.D. (1963). Wells Cathedral. Friends of Wells Cathedral, 10. ISBN 0902321110.
- , Clarkson, Thomas (1827). Memoirs of the Private and Public Life of William Penn. S.C. Stevens, pp. 57.
- , The Bloody Assize. Somerset Archive & Record Service. Retrieved on 2007-10-09.
- , Members by area: Shire Counties. House of Commons Information office. Retrieved on 2007-09-23.
- , City of Wells. Wells City Council. Retrieved on 2007-09-21.
- , Your Councillors. Mendip District Council. Retrieved on 2007-09-21.
- , Somerset County Councillors. Retrieved on 2007-09-21.
- , Cathedral Church of St Andrew, Chapter House and Cloisters. Images of England. Retrieved on 2006-08-24.
- , Chapter House to Cathedral Church of St Andrew. Images of England. Retrieved on 2006-08-24.
- , The Bishop's Palace and Bishop's House. Images of England. Retrieved on 2006-08-24.
- , No.1 St Andrew Street (Formerly Listed as: VICAR'S CLOSE (East side). Images of England. Retrieved on 2006-08-24.
- , Nos.14-27 Vicars' Close. Images of England. Retrieved on 2006-08-24.
- , Church of St Cuthbert. Images of England. Retrieved on 2006-08-24.
- , Nos.14-27 Vicars Close. Images of England. Retrieved on 2006-08-24.
- , Our Church. St Cuthbert, Wells. Retrieved on 2008-03-05.
- , "Bells in St Cuthberts Tower, Wells, Somerset" (1857). Notes & Queries s2-IV(93): 284-285. doi:10.1093/nq/s2-IV.93.284-b. Retrieved on 2008-03-05.
- Somerset Railway Stations, by Mike Oakley, (Dovecote Press, 2002)
[edit] See also
[edit] Gallery
Saint Cuthbert’s Church, Wells, 13th century with major changes (mainly external) in the 15th century
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The roof of Saint Cuthbert’s church, Wells
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