# WELLS, England



## Bristol Mike (Aug 5, 2007)

^^ Thanks! Glad you like.


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## Bristol Mike (Aug 5, 2007)

Now we have a look at Wells Cathedral. It is the seat of the Bishop of Bath and Wells, who lives at the adjacent Bishop's Palace.

Built between 1175 and 1490, Wells Cathedral has been described as “the most poetic of the English Cathedrals”.


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## yubnub (May 3, 2010)

Bristol Mike said:


>


"the greater good" 

Fantastic pics of the West Front of the Cathedral, the light is just right to emphasize it's (not sure how best to describe) undulating unflatness

I do sometimes wish they would remove the bracing arches in the interior. Surely modern tech could find a better method to hold the central tower up. I know the bracing arches are fairly unique but for some reason they remind me of a sad owls face  

I also wish that English Cathedral's would move the organs to somewhere other than smack bang in the middle so that it would be easier to appreciate the uniquely English obsession with building cathedrals very long rather then very high like the French. 

Anyhow sorry to sidetrack, great pics of a great place thanks for posting


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## Bristol Mike (Aug 5, 2007)

Thanks! 

I found the bracing arches quite interesting actually, not all Cathedrals in Britain have them and I have to say Wells is quite different to many other Cathedrals. Many others do give the impression of length rather than height, the latter only realised when fully looking up. I use my home city's for example - Bristol. Bristol appears to be quite a long Cathedral but also quite high. 

Glad you like the pictures


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## geoff189d (Jun 4, 2005)

Thanks for posting Mike, especially the cathedral.


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## Bristol Mike (Aug 5, 2007)

Thanks Geoff!


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## Bristol Mike (Aug 5, 2007)

Behind the Cathedral sits Vicar's Close, a charming street of very old houses in which is claimed to be the oldest purely residential street with its original buildings all surviving intact in Europe. John Julius Norwich calls it "that rarest of survivals, a planned street of the mid-14th century". It comprises numerous Grade 1 listed buildings, comprising 27 residences (originally 44), built for Bishop Ralph of Shrewsbury, a chapel and library at the north end, and a hall at the south end, over an arched gate. It is connected at its southern end to the cathedral by way of a walkway over Chain Gate.


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## hhhhh (Oct 28, 2009)

*Lovely place, great pics.*


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## Bristol Mike (Aug 5, 2007)

Thank you very much!


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## madonnagirl (Aug 7, 2011)

the cathedral, though it has the character of a gothic, the design is quite unique.


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## alacanti (Jun 14, 2003)

I have very good memories of Wells; after visiting the cathedral we bought some meal in a farmer's market. Nice town.


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## MilbertDavid (Nov 23, 2012)

one pictureque English city. thanks for sharing them.


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## Greg95100 (Oct 2, 2009)

Beautiful and charming.


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## Bristol Mike (Aug 5, 2007)

Thanks guys! Wells is a fantastic little place, and not so easy to find, but I recommend a visit.


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## paul62 (Jan 27, 2012)

Nice photos


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## MilbertDavid (Nov 23, 2012)

this is one nice idyllic English town.....it's as if time has stood still. will be waiting for more.


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## Guest (Jan 20, 2013)

I looooove the shapes and organic feel of the interior - fantastic mate :hug:


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## fieldsofdreams (Sep 21, 2012)

First time seeing this thread, it made me feel like I'm in a different world: the cathedral indeed looks totally grand, while the town proper looks simple and modest, which I find fascinating since my initial thoughts about English towns would be similar: full of low buildings, High Street being the same for many communities... I think Wells is something I would truly stop by and take a lot of pictures of, especially at the cathedral where I can compare side-by-side the elegance of the church versus the simplicity (and uniformity) of the buildings and structures where common people live and work. It's hard to imagine that even for a small town of 10,000, it has a strong religious presence that I find fascinating and amazing indeed.

Wonderful intro and images, my friend! Keep them coming, and I'll be back for more! :applause:


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## Bristol Mike (Aug 5, 2007)

paul62 said:


> Nice photos


Thanks man! 



MilbertDavid said:


> this is one nice idyllic English town.....it's as if time has stood still. will be waiting for more.


Thank you. If you could just remove the cars and replace them horses and carts perhaps then it would your perfect time capsule. 



SYDNEY said:


> I looooove the shapes and organic feel of the interior - fantastic mate :hug:


Thanks very much mate! Ah yes, the interior of Wells Cathedral is spectacular, but in a totally different way to say Bristol or Exeter (to pick 2 cities). A unique feature in the crossing of the cathedral aisles are the double pointed inverted arches. The idea came from the cathedral mason, William Joy in 1338 to stop the central tower from collapsing when another stage and spire were added to the tower beginning in the 13th century. 



fieldsofdreams said:


> First time seeing this thread, it made me feel like I'm in a different world: the cathedral indeed looks totally grand, while the town proper looks simple and modest, which I find fascinating since my initial thoughts about English towns would be similar: full of low buildings, High Street being the same for many communities... I think Wells is something I would truly stop by and take a lot of pictures of, especially at the cathedral where I can compare side-by-side the elegance of the church versus the simplicity (and uniformity) of the buildings and structures where common people live and work. It's hard to imagine that even for a small town of 10,000, it has a strong religious presence that I find fascinating and amazing indeed.
> 
> Wonderful intro and images, my friend! Keep them coming, and I'll be back for more! :applause:


Thanks very much! You're absolutely right. Britain has seen many instances of this i.e. huge great big Cathedrals sprouting up amidst an otherwise low-key town. Ely, in the east of England, is another prime example. I definitely recommend visiting Wells if you're ever in the West Country, along with Bristol and Bath.


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## capricorn2000 (Nov 30, 2006)

This is indeed a classic example of an English medieval town.
I wonder what was life then during that era.
Anyways, thanks again for these awesome photos which bring anyone back in time.


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## Bristol Mike (Aug 5, 2007)

^^ Yes, I often imagine what life could have been like when I visited places like this. My pleasure.


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