WELLS

 Wells, with a population of only around 10,000, is the smallest city in England.

This has got to be my favourite cathedral. The complex of the cathedral, the Archbishop's Palace, and the Vicar's Close is somehow delicate and refined.

Wells takes its' name from the five freshwater springs, five holy wells, found there. The Romans built a mausoleum here, and in 705, Aldhelm founded a church here., which in 909 became a cathedral. The present cathedral was begun in 1180.

This is the Vicar's Close. The 'vicars' are actually the adult male choristers, and these are sort of 'grace & favour' houses. They were built around 1470. Vicars originally were actually deputies, who were appointed by the non-monastic canons to stand in for them in duties that they could not, or would not, perform, and were chosen for their skill in singing.

The close was originally 42 small houses, with  communal hall and chapel. But as times changed, and vicars were allowed to marry, the houses were combined into fewer, larger houses for their families.

 In the Middle Ages, the bishops of the combined see of Bath & Wells were in conflict with the townsfolk. They thought it prudent to fortify their palace with a moat and drawbridge. In the 1870s the daughters of Bishop Hervey taught the resident swans to ring a bell for food, and the tradition continues today.

The cathedral, for me, is one of the best I've ever been to, from the scissor arch to its amazing clock, resplendent with jousting knights who do battle every hour, it's just the best

Below - the glorious West Front. It is impressive by day, and spectacular when floodlit at night. The limestone carvings glow under the lights. When the front was first built, they would have been painted in bright colours.

There are two entrances to the Cathedral Green from the Market Place. On the left, is the 'Penniless Porch', where beggars used to hopefully wait for alms from worshippers, and this one, known as the Bishop's Eye.