Wells
Encyclopedia : W : WE : WEL : Wells
- For other uses, see Wells (disambiguation)}}}.
- redirect
Contents
Name
The name Wells is due to the three famous wells dedicated to St. Andrew situated in the centre, one in the market place and two within the grounds of the Bishop's Palace and cathedral. During the Middle Ages these Wells were thought to have curative powersEngland's smallest city
It is England's smallest city with a population of around 10,000. It is the second smallest city in the UK after a city in Wales, St. Davids, and the third smallest city in the world (the smallest city in the world being in America)The square mile of the city of London is acutely smaller than Wells. Thus Wells is in fact the second smallest city in England.Cathedral
- ::For full article, see Wells Cathedral
The cathedral is notable for several unique features:
- West front - said to be the finest collection of statuary in Europe, containing 356 individual figures carved out of the cathedral's warm, yellow Doulting stone
- 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 and something had to be done to support it. About 1340, the Master Mason, William Joy, implemented his ingenious solution of the inverted arch to redistribute the weight on the foundations
- Chapter House - At the top of a flight of stone stairs, leading out from the north transept is the Chapter House, an octagonal building with a fan-vaulted ceiling. It is here that the business of running the cathedral is still done by the members of the Chapter, the cathedral's ruling body.
- Medieval Clock - facing the Canon's houses to the north, is a still-working medieval clock, originally intended to remind them of the many services conducted during the day at the cathedral
History
The City was originally a Roman settlement but only became an important centre under the Saxons when King Ine of Wessex founded a minster church in 704. Two hundred years later, this became the seat of the local Bishop; but by 1091, this had been removed to Bath. Causing severe arguments between the canons of Wells and the monks of Bath until finally the joint title of 'Bishop of Bath & Wells' to be elected by both houses was decided upon. Wells became a borough some time before 1160 when Bishop Robert granted its first charter. Fairs were granted to the City before 1160English Civil War
During the English Civil War, Parliamentarian troops used the Cathedral to stable their horses and damaged much of the ornate sculpture by using it for firing practice. William Penn is said to have passed through Wells shortly before leaving for America, spending a night at The Crown Inn.PoW Camp
During World War II, Stoberry Park in Wells was the location of a Prisioner of War camp. Initially housing Italian prisoners from the Western Desert Campaign, and later German prisoners post the Battle of NormandyRailways
At different times, Wells had three railway stations. The first station, Priory Street, opened in 1859 and was on the Somerset Central Railway (later the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway) as the terminus of a short branch from Glastonbury. A second railway, the East Somerset, opened a branch line from Witham in 1862 and built a station to the east of Priory Street. In 1870, a third railway, the Cheddar Valley line from Yatton, reached Wells and built yet another station, later called Tucker Street. Matters were somewhat simplified when the Great Western Railway acquired both the Cheddar Valley and the East Somerset lines and built a link between the two that ran through the S&DJR's Priory Street station. In 1878, when through trains began running between Yatton and Witham, the East Somerset station closed, but through trains did not stop at Priory Street until 1934.Priory Street closed to passenger traffic in 1951 when the S&DJR branch line from Glastonbury was shut, though it remained the city's main goods depot. Tucker Street closed in 1963 under the Beeching Axe, which closed the Yatton to Witham line to passengers. Goods traffic to Wells ceased in 1964.
Today
Following construction of the A39/A371 bypass, Wells has returned to being a pleasant market city situated at the foot of the Mendip Hills. It has all the modern conveniences plus charm, interesting shops, snug hotels and decent restaurants who recognise the value and are used to serving tourists
Tourism and Architecture
Wells is a popular tourist destination, due to having several historical sites and also its proximity to Bath, Stonehenge and other popular sites. Also located nearby is the Wookey Hole cave system and the Somerset Levels. Wells is also part of the West Country Carnival circuit. Somerset cheese is made locally.The real jewel of the city is the walled precinct enclosing twelfth century Wells Cathedral, the Bishop's Palace, Vicar's Close and the residences of the clergy who serve the cathedral:
- Bishops Palace - the medieval 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. There are 14 acres 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, which still has the original cobblestoned surface
- 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, it was much altered in the Perpendicular period
In literature
Elizabeth Goudge used Wells as a basis for the fictional Cathedral city of Torminster, in her book City of BellsPolitics
Wells is a council in its own right, and sits in the Somerset district of Mendip. Wells UK Parliamentary representative is traditionally Conservative, and is presently David Heathcoat Amory [link]See also
- Wells Cathedral
- West Country Carnival
- Visitor attractions in Somerset
External links
- [Wells City Council]
- [BBC Somerset]
- [Official website of MP David Heathcoat Amory]
- [St Cuthberts church]
- [Bishops Palace]
- [Wells Millenium Tapestry]
- [Little Theatre] site of the Wells Operatic Society
- [Professional artistic photos of Wells]
Accommodation
References
- Somerset Railway Stations, by Mike Oakley, (Dovecote Press, 2002)
| |
|
|---|---|
| Bath | Birmingham | Bradford | Brighton & Hove | Bristol | Cambridge | Canterbury | Carlisle | Chester | Chichester | Coventry | Derby | Durham | Ely | Exeter | Gloucester | Hereford | Kingston upon Hull | Lancaster | Leeds | Leicester | Lichfield | Lincoln | Liverpool | London (City of London and Westminster) | Manchester | Newcastle upon Tyne | Norwich | Nottingham | Oxford | Peterborough | Plymouth | Portsmouth | Preston | Ripon | Saint Albans | Salford | Salisbury | Sheffield | Southampton | Stoke-on-Trent | Sunderland | Truro | Wakefield | Wells | Winchester | Wolverhampton | Worcester | York | |
From Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Original article here. Support Wikipedia by contributing or donating.
All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License See Wikipedia Copyrights for details.