Digging Wells

I dig Wells, man. 

I guess I've always dug it. What a lovely Cathedral city, small and beautifully formed, and a joy to behold on a sunny afternoon.

We spent part of the day amongst the tourist excesses of Cheddar Gorge and Wookey Hole, so it was just the right decision to revisit Wells for afternoon tea. It never fails to please. We had a short walk around the Bishop's Palace (a three picture panorama shown above) which is a haven of calm and well mowed lawns. I recall there is a tea shop hidden in there somewhere.

 

Experienced Wells watchers will know that the Bishops Palace is surrounded by a large moat, as splendid as any you might find around a castle. However this is hidden from view, and if you stand and admire the Cathedral, you could easily miss this key feature of the city, pictured above and below.

We were so seduced by the sunshine and the surroundings that we sat down with drinks in the recently remodelled courtyard of the Swan Hotel on the edge of the green, watching the play of light and shade over the Cathedral west face in the afternoon sunshine.

However, the real world is never far away, and rather like Winchester and Salisbury there are boarded up shops and guys looking for spare change from the visitors.

So, if you appreciate fine stonework and city life in miniature, I dig Wells....