Ilkeston Cam on Holiday
Part 07 - Wells
w/e 06 September 2026
All of this week's pictures were
taken with a Nikon D3300 camera.
Leaving Cheddar our excursion into Somerset from
Weston Super Mare took us to Wells, the smallest city by population
in England. The City of London is smaller by area.
After a circuit of a car park that was completely full we eventually
found another one before setting off through the streets of the
city looking for somewhere to have a late lunch - don't forget
we'd already eaten a mid morning cream tea in Cheddar. With Wells
Cathedral towering above it, this was the view along High Street.
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After eating, we continued along High Street to the Market Place.
At he entrance to the Market Place is the Market Cross and Fountain,
a Grade II* listed structure that dates from circa 1797.
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It was market day in Wells and the Market Place was
full of stalls.
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There were even more stalls to the right where the Market Place
extends in front of the Town Hall. Nearly all of the stalls appeared
to be sheltered under the same type of gazebo and the traders
were obviously attracting a lot of visitors. Thinking of our
own and other local markets, maybe there's a lesson for other
towns and cities to be learned here.
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The Market Place in Wells is surrounded by many Listed Buildings
including, from the left, nos. 23 and 25 (both Grade II*), Penniless
Porch (grade 1), no. 16 and the Diocesan Registry (both Grade
II) and the Bishop's Eye Gatehouse (Grade 1).
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The Bishop's Eye Gateway is an entrance to a walled precinct
and that was the path we followed first.
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The path swings round to a bridge over a moat into the Bishop's
Palace, the Palace of course is another Grade 1 Listed Building
as is the moat bridge itself.
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I was aware before visiting Wells that swans on the moat ring
a bell at feeding time, thought to have been taught to do so
by a Bishop’s daughter long ago. The tradition still carries
on today but we were there at the wrong time of day as there
were no swans in sight.
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A small notice by the moat indicates that the Palace, ramparts
and moat were built in the 1340s and as well as the swans, moorhens,
coots, kingfishers, mallards, otters, mink and water voles have
all been seen here. It also states that a raft race is held on
the moat annually in August.
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We returned through the Bishop's
Eye to the Market Place but left it immediately to pass through
the Penniless Porch. This was built c1450 by Bishop Bekynton
and so named because traditionally this was where beggars sought
alms. It is the gateway to the Cathedral Green.
Back to Part 06
- Forward to Part 08
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