Wells Cathedral in Somerset is dedicated to St Andrew the Apostle, and is the seat of the Bishop of Bath and Wells. The present building dates from 1175 to 1490, an earlier church having been built on the site in 705. It is moderately sized among the medieval cathedrals of England, falling between those of massive proportions, such as Lincoln and York, and the much smaller cathedrals of Oxford and Carlisle.
The cloisters were built in the late 13th century and largely rebuilt from 1430 to 1508. They have wide openings divided by mullions and transoms, and tracery in the Perpendicular Gothic style. The vault has lierne ribs that form octagons at the centre of each compartment, the joints of each rib having decorative bosses. The eastern range is of two storeys, of which the upper is the library built in the 15th century.
Because Wells Cathedral was secular rather than monastic, cloisters were not a practical necessity. They were omitted from several other secular cathedrals but were built here and at Chichester. Explanations for their construction at these two secular cathedrals range from the processional to the aesthetic. As at Chichester, there is no northern range to the cloisters. In monastic cloisters it was the north range, benefiting most from winter sunlight, that was often used as a scriptorium.
Tags: Somerset Wells Wells Cathedral cloisters Wells Cathedral Cloisters medieval architecture medieval buildings
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Every little town in England seems to have its own morning rush hour when people are going to work and mums are taking their kids to school. Chard in south Somerset is no exception. We stayed just outside the town when we spent a few days here in early January. It was an ideal base for visiting Dorset and East Devon.
The dominant building in the town centre is the Grade II*-listed Guildhall, seen right of centre. It dates back to 1837 and was formerly the Corn Exchange. It is situated on the site of former municipal buildings and a market from the late 18th century. These days it doubles up as a Town Hall, and is used primarily as a community building for a wide range of activities, including an indoor market.
Tags: Somerset Chard Fore Street, Chard street scenes South Somerset English towns A30
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During our recent short break in the south-west we stayed on the outskirts of Chard. This is a historic market town nestled within the beautiful countryside of South Somerset, close to the Devon and Dorset borders. It is the second largest town in South Somerset with a population of approximately 14,000 and at 397 feet above sea level it is also the highest town in Somerset.
The dominant building in the town centre is the Grade II*-listed Guildhall, seen just right of centre. It dates back to 1837 and was formerly the Corn Exchange. It is situated on the site of former municipal buildings and a market from the late 18th century. These days it doubles up as a Town Hall, and is used primarily as a community building for a wide range of activities, including an indoor market.
Tags: Somerset Chard Fore Street, Chard Grade II*-listed buildings Chard Guildhall
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Wells Cathedral in Somerset is dedicated to St Andrew the Apostle, and is the seat of the Bishop of Bath and Wells. The present building dates from 1175 to 1490, an earlier church having been built on the site in 705. It is moderately sized among the medieval cathedrals of England, falling between those of massive proportions, such as Lincoln and York, and the much smaller cathedrals of Oxford and Carlisle. With its broad west front and large central tower, it is the dominant feature of its small cathedral city and a landmark in the Somerset countryside. Wells has been variously described as "unquestionably one of the most beautiful" and as "the most poetic" of English cathedrals.
Wells is the smallest of England's cathedral cities and attracts numerous visitors, some of whom are enjoying refreshments on the Swan Terrace which overlooks the cathedral green.
Tags: Somerset Wells Wells Cathedral cathedrals
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My good friend Nick Udy and I had a wonderful day on Exmoor on my last visit to the south-west. Coming back across the moor in the early evening we came across this patchwork of fields on the southern side, just over the Somerset border.
Tags: Exmoor countryside landscapes fields farms south Exmoor Somerset
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