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The Cathedral at Wells |
After getting all our mundane Saturday morning chores done, the three of us set off for Wells. Wells gets its name from the many springs in the area, which in the Middle Ages, were thought to have curative powers. The town was originally a Roman settlement but only became important under the Saxons when King Ine of Wessex founded a minster church here in AD 704.
I can't imagine a lovelier, more historic setting for a market than at Wells. For 800 years the market has stood on almost the same site in the ancient market place, overlooked by the splendour of the ancient cathedral. Wells holds twice weekly markets in the market place (Saturday's and Wednesdays). You can buy a wide range of goods from clothes and jewellery to organic vegetables, plants and olives.
It was in the Wells market place in 1695, that the quaker, William Penn the founder of Pennsylvania preached to a huge crowd. He was arrested for unlawful assembly, only to return some weeks later to continue his crusade.
After a very nice lunch at an Italian Bistro type cafe called Ricardo's, seated outside on the sidewalk and being entertained by a pan piper who was playing from a doorway across the street, we briefly joined the shoppers.
Jenny, Bob and Emily |
The cathedral was just awesome. It is, in my opinion the most beautiful cathedral in Britain and one of it's best kept secrets. The structure as it stands today was started in 1180 by Bishop Reginald de Bolun who pulled down the old Cathedral (circa 705!) and began building the current one. He was only responsible for the transepts, parts of the choir and nave and the north porch. His successors completed the project which took 250 years. Before 705 A shrine of some sort existed here long before Christianity came. Over the years it has been built up, torn down, and partially blown up (1552 during the Reformation). It has survived throughout the years dignity intact. As soon as you walk inside you know you are in a place of worship. It is one of the few cathedrals that has resisted being comercialized and turned into a tourist attraction like Salisbury.
The Cathedral Garden |
The cathedral clock that has chimed every quarter hour without fail for the last 650 |
Outside and to the right was the ruins of the old Bishops Palace which are still ringed by a real, honest to goodness moat, complete with swans.
After we exhausted ourselves drinking in all the splendor we had a brief cup of tea. Under one of the archway's leading into the cathedral there is a sign that read "poor arch". Since the building of the cathedral this is a spot has been set aside for beggars. A Busker (street performer) was playing his
guitar and singing much to everyone's dismay. He was so awful it's impossible to describe. We quickly drank our tea and moved on.
All of these pictures were taken by myself in the summer of 2003
All of these pictures were taken by myself in the summer of 2003
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