From Bath, we drove the short distance to Wells, England’s smallest city, which lies in the shadow of the Mendip Hills. Wells gets its name from the springs that bubble up into a pool in the fine bishop’s garden at the moated 13^th century Bishop’s Palace south of the Wells Cathedral. The Bishop’s Palace is still used today as the residence of the Bishop of Bath and Wells. The palace’s spring-fed moat was built in the 14^th century in an effort to protect the bishop during squabbles with the borough. The bridge was last drawn in 1831. 







 

Construction of the splendid Wells Cathedral (www.wellscathedral.org.uk) began in the 12^th century, but was not finished until the 15^th. Among the most striking features of the cathedral, are the west front, with its elaborate stone carvings and statues, and the ‘scissor arches’ installed in 1338 to support the tower, which was caving in on itself. The cathedral’s astronomical clock in the north transept is one of the oldest cathedral clock-faces in Britain. The Penniless Porch in the archway between the bustling village market place and the peaceful cathedral close was where beggars once received alms.