Wells

Somerset                                                                                              Photos by Hetty

23rd September 2020

St Cuthbert’s Church

Almshouses

More almshouses

 

Brown’s Gatehouse and Gatehouse Hotel

The Swan was here in 1422, rebuilt in the 1500s and later gained a new front when it became an important coaching inn.

The Conduit was built in the late 1700s and its spring water comes from the wells.

The Market Place has the Town Hall (1779) and a colonnaded Market House, which became a fire station, then post office but is now a restaurant.

This gateway leads to the Bishop’s Place and is called the Bishop’s Eye

The other side of the Bishop’s Eye

The Bishop’s Palace has a moat with swans, gate house with drawbridge and defensive walls built in the 14th century – dividing the Bishop from the town.

 

There are three well pools in the Palace grounds which give the city its name. The water comes from the Mendip Hills and bubbles up as springs here, then it was piped to the Market Place.

 

Inside the Bishop’s Palace

The Penniless Porch has an intricate ceiling and leads from the Market Place to the Cathedral

Brown’s Gate – 15th century gateway to the town from the Cathedral and the West Front of the Cathedral

This is now the Cathedral Music School

 

The cathedral is linked to the Vicars’ Close by a bridge.

Vicars’ Close was built in the 1400s to house the Vicars Choral (the choir).

At the end are a library and chapel.

 

The jail is now a pub

 

All images on the website copyright of HettyHikes.co.uk

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