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There has been a church on this site since 705, and the current cathedral dates back to 1175.  Wells Cathedral is the seat of our President, the Bishop of Bath and Wells. Each year, about 150,000 people attend cathedral services and 300,000 visit as tourists.

Wells enjoys several parks and green spaces, including the Recreation Ground, Deer Park and Tor Woods, which offer locals and visitors plenty of opportunity to relax and enjoy nature. Our green spaces are precious, with research showing that good urban access to green space can help mitigate climate change, improve biodiversity and also has significant benefits for our health and wellbeing.

The Almshouse was founded in 1436 by Bishop Nicholas Bubwith to provide housing for elderly residents and still provides accommodation for older people today. The original medieval building and chapel can be found next to St Cuthbert's churchyard.

A short stroll along St Thomas Street leads to the eighteenth century church of St Thomas. Look up to see the new spire, which was replaced after the original was toppled during Storm Eunice in 2022.

Wells enjoys a vibrant programme of events, including the Wells Food Festival, the Carnival, the Comedy Festival, the Wells Moat Boat Race, the May Fair, the Mendip Tour of classic cars and more. 

The Palace has been the official residence of the Bishop of Bath and Wells since the early thirteenth century.  The grounds are open to visitors, and has an excellent café where you can watch the croquet in summer. The Palace moat is also home to Well’s famous swans, who have been trained to ring a bell at the Gatehouse for food.

In 1180, Wells was granted a royal charter, allowing the City to hold markets and fairs. To this day, the tradition continues, with bustling stalls filling the square on a Wednesday and Saturday morning. The Market Place wasn’t always so peaceful though. In September 1685 it was the location for the infamous Bloody Assizes, where Judge Jeffries sentenced 142 people to death on a single day for their part in the Monmouth Rebellion.

Built over 650 years ago to house the Vicars Choral, Vicars Close is the oldest intact residential street in Europe. The Vicars still live in the Close today, along with boarders at Wells Cathedral School and private residents. As well as the houses, the street also includes a chapel, dining hall and a covered walkway to the Cathedral, known as the Chain Gate Bridge.

The church dates back to the thirteenth century and is well worth a visit for features such as its painted tie beam roof, medieval stonework Tree of Jesse and beautiful stained-glass windows. It is the largest parish church in Somerset and is often mistaken by tourists for the cathedral.

Wells Walking Tours offers interesting walks in and around Wells. Their most popular tours are the weekly Heritage Walks and the Hot Fuzz tour. 

Visit their website to find out more and book on.

The museum is housed in the former Chancellor’s House, which dates back to the seventeenth century. Founded in 1893 by archaeologist, caver and geologist Herbert E. Balch to display his collection of local artefacts, it now contains a varied collection of items from Wells and the surrounding area.

Wells is named after three natural springs, found in the Cathedral, Palace grounds and the Market Place. In 1451, Wells was granted a supply of spring water in perpetuity by Bishop Bekynton, and a large stone conduit was constructed over it in the Market Place. In return, the citizens of Wells were required to pray annually for Bekynton’s soul, and services are still held today. The Conduit we see today was constructed in 1797 for £150.

The chapel at the end of Vicars Close dates back to 1424. Above the ground floor chapel was a library for the Vicars Choral. The building is now used by Wells Cathedral School and it is not usually open to the public.

The Bishop’s Barn is a fifteenth-century tithe barn and is a scheduled ancient monument. Given to the city in 1887 by Bishop Hervey for recreation and amusement, it is now being transferred from Mendip District Council control to Wells City Council, which plans to enable it to be used by the community again.