Wells
This is a bit delayed and i do apologise for posting old news, but without regular internet access outside of work it is hard to keep this up to date. However, I went to Wells on the 6th (yes two weekends ago). Wells is quite close to Bristol, about an hour away on the bus, and is the smallest city in the UK. It is also where the author Elizabeth Goudge lived for a lot of her childhood and as she is one of mum's favourite authors, mum suggested i went.
The town itself is nice, but nothing special, however at the top of the high street is the market square with the cathedral and the Bishop's Palace. These are two stunning buildings and are the reason the town is on the tourist map. I went to the Bishop's palace first and just found it so calming. The gardens are wonderful, much of it backs onto a former deer park and now protected park, and you cannot hear any traffic once you are behind the garden walls. It also benfits from having the springs that give the town its name all within the garden. These springs have been turned into a wonderful pond with a stunning waterfall that feeds the moat. It really is a very peaceful place.
I was also lucky enough to go there when they had a sculpture exhibition on Phillip Jackon's work called Sacred and Profane. These were a series of very clever sculptures many of which played on the religious history of the site. They were scattered throughout the garden and really lifted it. I really enjoyed wandering around and encountering the sculptures.
After leaving the palace and grabbing some lunch i went to the cathedral and was there for one of the sunday services. again really nice and the cathedral was stunning. I haven't got many photos of it as you had to pay for a photo licence and i was feeling a bit poor, so didn't pay. however i did get a photo of the steps up to the Chapter house which are so worn and show their amazing history. The chapter house was completed in 1306 and the wearing on the steps to it suggests they have been there the whole time.
after leaving the cathedral i wandered around to Vicars' close which is apparently the oldest continuously inhabited street in Europe. It was completed in 1363 and was built to house the men of the Vicars' choir. It looks back towards the cathedral and was just wonderful. Once again the history of so many of the buildings here just leaves me astounded. That these houses are over 600 years old, and still lived in is amazing.
By the time I had done all that it was pretty much time to leave so that i could get back to bristol at a reasonable hour. It was a lovely afternoon and i'm really pleased i went.
I have lots more to write about but that will have to wait until next week, or even the week after, i'll see how busy i am.
The town itself is nice, but nothing special, however at the top of the high street is the market square with the cathedral and the Bishop's Palace. These are two stunning buildings and are the reason the town is on the tourist map. I went to the Bishop's palace first and just found it so calming. The gardens are wonderful, much of it backs onto a former deer park and now protected park, and you cannot hear any traffic once you are behind the garden walls. It also benfits from having the springs that give the town its name all within the garden. These springs have been turned into a wonderful pond with a stunning waterfall that feeds the moat. It really is a very peaceful place.
I was also lucky enough to go there when they had a sculpture exhibition on Phillip Jackon's work called Sacred and Profane. These were a series of very clever sculptures many of which played on the religious history of the site. They were scattered throughout the garden and really lifted it. I really enjoyed wandering around and encountering the sculptures.
After leaving the palace and grabbing some lunch i went to the cathedral and was there for one of the sunday services. again really nice and the cathedral was stunning. I haven't got many photos of it as you had to pay for a photo licence and i was feeling a bit poor, so didn't pay. however i did get a photo of the steps up to the Chapter house which are so worn and show their amazing history. The chapter house was completed in 1306 and the wearing on the steps to it suggests they have been there the whole time.
after leaving the cathedral i wandered around to Vicars' close which is apparently the oldest continuously inhabited street in Europe. It was completed in 1363 and was built to house the men of the Vicars' choir. It looks back towards the cathedral and was just wonderful. Once again the history of so many of the buildings here just leaves me astounded. That these houses are over 600 years old, and still lived in is amazing.
By the time I had done all that it was pretty much time to leave so that i could get back to bristol at a reasonable hour. It was a lovely afternoon and i'm really pleased i went.
I have lots more to write about but that will have to wait until next week, or even the week after, i'll see how busy i am.
posted by bronwyn | 10:15 AM
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