Wells Cathedral
Encyclopedia
Wells Cathedral is a Church of England
cathedral
in Wells
, Somerset
, England
. 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”.
Much of the structure is in the Early English style and is greatly enriched by the deeply sculptural nature of the mouldings and the vitality of the carved capitals in a foliate style known as “stiff leaf”. The eastern end has retained much original glass, which is rare in England. The exterior has a splendid Early English façade and a large central tower.
The first church was established on the site in 705. Construction of the present building began in the 10th century and was largely complete at the time of its dedication in 1239. It has undergone several expansions and renovations since then and has been designated by English Heritage
as a grade I listed building, and Scheduled Ancient Monument
.
Peter Price is the current Bishop of Bath and Wells
having been appointed in 2001; and John Clarke
took over as Dean in September 2004 after previously being principal of Ripon Theological College
at Cuddesdon, Oxford.
on the site, which was identified during excavations in 1980.
The first church was established in Wells in 705 by King Ine of Wessex
, at the urging of Aldhelm, Bishop of Sherborne, in whose diocese
it lay. It was dedicated to Saint Andrew
. The only remains of this first church are some excavated foundations which can be seen in the cloisters. In 766 Cynewulf
, King of Wessex, signed a charter granting endowed eleven hides
of land. The baptismal font in the south transept is the oldest surviving part of the cathedral which is dated to c.700 AD.
Two centuries later, the seat of the diocese was shifted to Wells from Sherborne
. The first Bishop of Wells was Athelm
(circa 909), who crowned King Athelstan. Athelm and his nephew Saint Dunstan
both became Archbishops of Canterbury
. It was also around this time that Wells Cathedral School
was founded.
The present structure was begun under the direction of Bishop Reginald de Bohun
, who died in 1184.
Wells Cathedral dates primarily from the late 12th century and early 13th century; the nave
and transept
are examples of the Early English style of architecture. It was largely complete at the time of its dedication in 1239.
The bishop responsible for the construction was Jocelyn of Wells, a brother of Bishop Hugh II of Lincoln
, and one of the bishops at the signing of Magna Carta
. Jocelyn's building campaigns also included the Bishop's Palace
, a choristers' school, a grammar school
, hospital
for travellers and a chapel
. He also built a manor at Wookey
, near Wells. The master mason designer associated with Jocelyn was Elias of Dereham
. Jocelyn lived to see the church dedicated, but despite much lobbying of Rome, died before cathedral status was granted in 1245. He died on 19 November 1242, at Wells and was buried in the choir of Wells Cathedral.
He may have been the father of Nicholas of Wells. The memorial brass
on his tomb is supposedly one of the earliest brasses in England.
Masons continued with the enrichment of the West Front until about 1260.
King John was excommunicated between 1209 and 1213. During this time, work on the cathedral was suspended. In this period, building technology advanced so that bigger blocks of masonry could be moved and incorporated into the walls. The effect of this technological advance can be seen on the walls of the cathedral; at a particular point in the building's walls, the blocks of stone can be seen to increase in size.
By the time the building was finished, including the Chapter House
(1306),
it already seemed too small for the developing liturgy, in particular the increasingly grand processions. A new spate of expansive building was therefore initiated with Bishop John Drokensford
starting the proceedings by heightening of the central tower and beginning an eight-sided Lady chapel
at the far east end, finished by 1326. Thomas of Whitney was the master mason.
Bishop Ralph of Shrewsbury
followed, continuing the eastward extension of the quire, and the Retroquire
beyond with its forest of pillars. He also built Vicars' Close
and the Vicars' Hall, to give the men of the choir a secure place to live and dine, away from the town with all its temptations.
He enjoyed an uneasy relationship with the citizens of Wells, partly because of his imposition of taxes, and felt the need to surround his palace with crenellated
walls and a moat and drawbridge.
The appointment of William Wynford
as master mason in 1365 marked another period of activity. He was one of the foremost architects of his time and, apart from Wells, was engaged in work for the king at Windsor
and at New College, Oxford
and Winchester Cathedral
. Under Bishop John Harewell
, who raised money for the project, he built the south-west tower of the West Front and designed the north west, which was completed later. Inside the building he filled in the early English lancet window
s with delicate tracery.
In the 14th century, the central piers
of the crossing
were found to be sinking under the weight of the crossing
tower, which had been damaged by an earthquake the previous century. "Scissor arches" (inverted strainer arches that are such a striking feature) were inserted to brace and stabilize the piers as a unit, by William Joy the master mason of the time.
the cathedral building was complete, with an appearance much as today. Following the dissolution of the monasteries
in 1541 the income of the cathedral was reduced; as a result medieval brasses
were sold off, and a pulpit
was placed in the nave for the first time. Between 1551 and 1568, in two periods as Dean, William Turner established a Herbal garden, which has been recreated between 2003 and 2010.
Elizabeth I
gave both the Chapter and the Vicars Choral a new charter in 1591 which created a new governing body, consisting of the dean and eight residentiary canons. This body had control over the estates of the church as well as complete authority over its affairs, but removed its right to elect its own dean.
The stability which the new charter brought came to an end with the onset of the civil war
and the execution of Charles I
. Local fighting led to damage to the fabric of the cathedral including stonework, furniture and windows. The dean at this time was Dr. Walter Raleigh, a nephew of the explorer Sir Walter Raleigh
. He was imprisoned after the fall of Bridgwater
to the Parliamentarians
in 1645, brought back to Wells and confined in the deanery. His jailer was the local shoe maker and city constable, David Barrett, who caught him writing a letter to his wife. When he refused to surrender it, Mr Barrett ran him through with a sword, from which he died six weeks later,
on 10 October 1646 and he was buried in the choir before the dean's stall. No inscription marks his grave.
During the Commonwealth of England
under Oliver Cromwell
no dean was appointed and the building fell into disrepair. The bishop was in retirement and some clergy were reduced to performing menial tasks.
was restored to the throne, Robert Creyghtone, who had served as the king's chaplain in exile, was appointed as the dean and later served as the bishop for two years before his death in 1672. His magnificent brass lectern, given in thanksgiving, can still be seen in the cathedral. He donated the great west window of the nave at a cost of £140.
Following Creyghtone's appointment as Bishop Ralph Bathurst
, who had been president of Trinity College, Oxford
,
chaplain to the king, fellow of the Royal Society
, took over as the dean. During his long tenure restoration of the fabric of the cathedral took place. During the Monmouth Rebellion
of 1685, puritan soldiers damaged the West front, tore lead from the roof to make bullets, broke the windows, smashed the organ and the furnishings, and for a time stabled their horses in the nave.
The work of restoration had to start all over again under Bishop Thomas Ken
who was appointed in that year and served until 1691. He was one of seven bishops imprisoned for refusing to sign King James II's "Declaration of Indulgence", which would have enabled Catholics to resume positions of political power, but popular support led to his acquittal. He later refused to take the oath of allegiance to William and Mary
because James II
had not formally abdicated. Thomas Ken and others (known as the Non-Jurors; the older meaning of "juror" is "one who takes an oath", hence "perjurer" as "one who swears falsely") refused and were put out of office. He was forced to retire to Frome
.
Bishop Kidder
who succeeded him was killed during the Great Storm of 1703
, when two chimney stacks in the palace fell on the bishop and his wife, asleep in bed.
This same storm wrecked the Eddystone lighthouse
and blew in part of the great west window in Wells.
In the middle of the 19th century, a major restoration programme
was needed. Under Dean Goodenough the monuments were removed to the cloisters and remaining medieval paint and whitewash
was removed in an operation known as 'the great scrape'.
Anthony Salvin
, took charge of the extensive restoration of the quire. The wooden galleries were removed and new stalls with stone canopies were placed further back within the line of the arches. The stone screen was pushed outwards in the centre to support a new organ
. Since then a rolling programme of improvement to the fabric has been continued.
The cathedral hosted the funeral of Harry Patch
, the last British Army
veteran of the First World War, who died in July 2009 at the age of 111.
The interior of the cathedral is based on three aisles, with stress being placed on horizontal, rather than vertical lines. A unique feature in the crossing are the double pointed inverted arches, known as owl-eyed strainer arches. This unorthodox solution was found by the cathedral mason, William Joy in 1338, to stop the central tower from collapsing when another stage and spire were added to the tower which had been begun in the 13th century. The capitals in the south west arm of the transept include depictions such as a bald-headed man, a man with toothache, a thorn-extractor, and a moral tale: fruit thieves being caught and punished.
The west façade, is 100 feet (30 m) high and 150 feet (46 m) wide with niches for more than 500 medieval figure sculptures of which 300 survive. Between 1975 and 1986 the west front underwent a major cleaning and restoration programme, including Silane
coating and Lime
treatment for many of the statues.
The West front is composed of a yellow stone, inferior oolite
, of the middle Jurassic
period which came from the Doulting Stone Quarry
about 8 miles (13 km) to the East.
Wells Cathedral contains one of the most substantial collections of medieval stained glass in England.
Many of the windows were damaged by soldiers in 1642 and 1643. The oldest surviving are two windows on the west side of the Chapter House staircase date from 1280–90, and two windows in the south choir aisle which are from 1310–1320. The Lady Chapel
range is from 1325–1330,
and includes images of local saint Dunstan
,
however the east window underwent extensive repairs by Thomas Willement
in 1845.
The choir east window is a fine Jesse Tree, which includes significant silver stain, and is flanked by two windows each side in the clerestory
, with large figures of saints, all of which are from 1340–1345. In 2010 a major conservation programme was undertaken on the Jesse window. The 1520 panels in the chapel of St Katherine
are attributed to Arnold of Nijmegen
and were acquired from the destroyed church of Saint-Jean, Rouen
,
the last panel was bought in 1953.
The large triple lancet to the nave west end was glazed at the expense of Dean Creyghton at a cost of £140 in 1664 and repaired in 1813. The central light was largely replaced to a design by Archibald Keightley Nicholson
between 1925–1931. The main north and south transept end windows are by Powell, and were erected in the early 20th century.
The cathedral contains architectural features and fittings some dating back hundreds of years, and tombs and monuments to bishops and noblemen.
The brass
lectern
in the Lady Chapel is from 1661 and has a moulded stand and foliate crest. In the north transept chapel is a 17th century oak screen with columns, formerly part of cow stalls, with artisan Ionic
capitals and cornice, which is set forward over chest tomb of John Godelee. There is a bound oak chest from the 14th century which would have been used to store the Chapter Seal and key documents. The Bishop's Throne dates from 1340, and has a panelled, canted front and stone doorway, and a deep nodding cusped ogee canopy over it, with 3 stepped statue niches and pinnacles. The throne was restored by Anthony Salvin
around 1850. Opposite the throne is a 19th century pulpit, which is octagonal on a coved base with panelled sides, and steps up from the north aisle. The round font in the south transept is from the former Saxon cathedral, it has an arcade of round-headed arches, on a round plinth and a cover made in 1635 cover with heads of putti round sides. The Chapel of St Martin is a memorial to every Somerset man who fell in World War I
.
The monuments and tombs include: Bishop Giso, died 1088: Bishop Bytton
died 1274: Bishop William of March
, died 1302: John Drokensford
, died 1329: John Godelee, died 1333: John Middleton, died c1350: Ralph of Shrewsbury
, died 1363: Bishop Harewell
died 1386: William Bykonyll died c1448: John Bernard, died 1459: Bishop Bekynton
, died 1464: John Gunthorpe
, died 1498: John Still
died 1607: Robert Creyghton died 1672: Bishop Kidder
, died 1703: Bishop Hooper
, died 1727 and Bishop Harvey
died 1894.
Two carvings in the West Cloister, now near the gift shop and cafe, have been described as being Sheela na Gig
s, however they are not typical and this classification has been challenged.
, an astronomical clock
, is located in the north transept
. The surviving mechanism, dated to between 1386 and 1392, was replaced in the 19th century, and was eventually moved to the Science Museum
in London, where it continues to operate. It is the second-oldest surviving clock in England.
The dial represents a pre-Copernican
or geocentric view of the universe, with sun and moon revolving round a central fixed earth, like the astronomical clock at Ottery St Mary
. The clock still has its original medieval face. As well as showing the time on a 24 hour dial, it reflects the motion of the sun and the moon, the phases of the moon
, and the time since the last new moon.
When the clock strikes every quarter, jousting
knights move around above the clock and the Quarter jack marks the quarter hours with his heels. The outside clock face, opposite Vicars' Hall, placed there just over seventy years after the interior clock, is driven by the inside mechanism. In 2010 the official clock-winder retired and was replaced by an electric mechanism.
s dating from 1330 to 1340, twelve of which were never completed. Although a few represent everyday scenes, such as two goats butting each other and a lamb sucking from a ewe, most have a mythological theme.
Room at the southern end of the Library. The volumes held reflect the Canons' wide-ranging intellectual interests. The collection's core subject is theology, but science, medicine, history, exploration and languages are also well-represented. The library is open to the public at appointed times during summer, with a small exhibition of documents and books.
. These bells are now hung in the South West Tower although originally a small number of bells were hung in the lantern.
The oldest bells are the 3rd, 4th, 5th, 7th and 8th that date from 1757 and were made by Abel Rudhall. The 3rd weighs 10 long cwt (508 kg), the 4th 10.75 long cwt (546.1 kg), the 5th 12.5 long cwt (635 kg), The 7th 20 long cwt (1,016 kg) and the 8th 23 long cwt (1,168.5 kg). In 1877 bells 9 and 10 were cast by John Taylor & Co. The 9th weighs 32 long cwt (1,625.7 kg) and the 10th . The 1st and 2nd date from 1891 and were made by Mears & Stainbank. The 1st weighs while the 2nd weighs . The most recent bell, the 6th, was cast in 1964 also by Mears & Stainbank and weighs .
is the head of the Chapter
of Wells Cathedral. The current Dean
is the Very Revd John Clarke
, who lives in The Dean's Lodging, 25 The Liberty, Wells.
The first record of an organ dates from 1310, with a smaller organ, probably for the Lady Chapel, being installed in 1415. In 1620 a new organ, built by Thomas Dallam
, was installed at a cost of £398 1s 5d, however this was destroyed by parliamentary soldiers in 1643 and another new organ was built in 1662,
which was enlarged in 1786,
and again in 1855.
In 1909–1910 a new organ was built by Harrison & Harrison
with the best parts of old organ retained,
and this has been maintained by the same company since.
The first recorded organist of Wells Cathedral was Walter Bagele (or Vageler) in 1416, and the post of organist or assistant organist has been held by over 60 individual since then. The current organist is Matthew Owens who took up the post in 2005. Jonathan Vaughn was appointed as assistant organist in 2007, and the current organ scholars are Sachin Gunga and Owain Park.
episode The Lazarus Experiment
the cathedral interior stood in for that of Southwark Cathedral
. Parts of the Academy Award-nominated 2007 film Elizabeth: The Golden Age were also filmed in the cathedral.
It was also used as inspiration for Ken Follett's novel Pillars of the Earth, and (with a heavily modified central tower) was used to represent the completed Kingsbridge Cathedral at the end of the 2010 television adaptation.
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
cathedral
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
in Wells
Wells
Wells is a cathedral city and civil parish in the Mendip district of Somerset, England, on the southern edge of the Mendip Hills. Although the population recorded in the 2001 census is 10,406, it has had city status since 1205...
, Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is the seat of the Bishop of Bath and Wells
Bishop of Bath and Wells
The Bishop of Bath and Wells heads the Church of England Diocese of Bath and Wells in the Province of Canterbury in England.The present diocese covers the vast majority of the county of Somerset and a small area of Dorset. The Episcopal seat is located in the Cathedral Church of Saint Andrew in...
, who lives at the adjacent Bishop's Palace
Bishop's Palace, Wells
The Bishop's Palace, Wells, Somerset, England, is adjacent to Wells Cathedral and has been the home of the Bishops of the Diocese of Bath and Wells for 800 years....
.
Built between 1175 and 1490, Wells Cathedral has been described as “the most poetic of the English Cathedrals”.
Much of the structure is in the Early English style and is greatly enriched by the deeply sculptural nature of the mouldings and the vitality of the carved capitals in a foliate style known as “stiff leaf”. The eastern end has retained much original glass, which is rare in England. The exterior has a splendid Early English façade and a large central tower.
The first church was established on the site in 705. Construction of the present building began in the 10th century and was largely complete at the time of its dedication in 1239. It has undergone several expansions and renovations since then and has been designated by English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
as a grade I listed building, and Scheduled Ancient Monument
Scheduled Ancient Monument
In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is a 'nationally important' archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorized change. The various pieces of legislation used for legally protecting heritage assets from damage and destruction are grouped under the term...
.
Peter Price is the current Bishop of Bath and Wells
Bishop of Bath and Wells
The Bishop of Bath and Wells heads the Church of England Diocese of Bath and Wells in the Province of Canterbury in England.The present diocese covers the vast majority of the county of Somerset and a small area of Dorset. The Episcopal seat is located in the Cathedral Church of Saint Andrew in...
having been appointed in 2001; and John Clarke
John Clarke (Dean of Wells)
The Very Rev. John Martin Clarke is the current Dean of Wells. He was born on 20 February 1952 and attended West Buckland School, Hertford College, Oxford and Edinburgh University. After a period of study at Edinburgh Theological College he was ordained in 1977...
took over as Dean in September 2004 after previously being principal of Ripon Theological College
Ripon College Cuddesdon
Ripon College Cuddesdon is a Church of England theological college in Cuddesdon, a village outside Oxford, England.-History:Ripon College Cuddesdon was formed from an amalgamation in 1975 of Cuddesdon College and Ripon Hall...
at Cuddesdon, Oxford.
Early years
There is archaeological evidence of a late Roman mausoleumMausoleum
A mausoleum is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the interment space or burial chamber of a deceased person or persons. A monument without the interment is a cenotaph. A mausoleum may be considered a type of tomb or the tomb may be considered to be within the...
on the site, which was identified during excavations in 1980.
The first church was established in Wells in 705 by King Ine of Wessex
Ine of Wessex
Ine was King of Wessex from 688 to 726. He was unable to retain the territorial gains of his predecessor, Cædwalla, who had brought much of southern England under his control and expanded West Saxon territory substantially...
, at the urging of Aldhelm, Bishop of Sherborne, in whose diocese
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
it lay. It was dedicated to Saint Andrew
Saint Andrew
Saint Andrew , called in the Orthodox tradition Prōtoklētos, or the First-called, is a Christian Apostle and the brother of Saint Peter. The name "Andrew" , like other Greek names, appears to have been common among the Jews from the 3rd or 2nd century BC. No Hebrew or Aramaic name is recorded for him...
. The only remains of this first church are some excavated foundations which can be seen in the cloisters. In 766 Cynewulf
Cynewulf of Wessex
Cynewulf was the King of Wessex from 757 until his death in 786.Cynewulf became king after his predecessor, Sigeberht, was deposed. He may have come to power under the influence of Æthelbald of Mercia, since he was recorded as a witness to a charter of Æthelbald shortly thereafter...
, King of Wessex, signed a charter granting endowed eleven hides
Hide (unit)
The hide was originally an amount of land sufficient to support a household, but later in Anglo-Saxon England became a unit used in assessing land for liability to "geld", or land tax. The geld would be collected at a stated rate per hide...
of land. The baptismal font in the south transept is the oldest surviving part of the cathedral which is dated to c.700 AD.
Two centuries later, the seat of the diocese was shifted to Wells from Sherborne
Sherborne
Sherborne is a market town in northwest Dorset, England. It is sited on the River Yeo, on the edge of the Blackmore Vale, east of Yeovil. The A30 road, which connects London to Penzance, runs through the town. The population of the town is 9,350 . 27.1% of the population is aged 65 or...
. The first Bishop of Wells was Athelm
Athelm
Athelm was an English churchman, who was the first Bishop of Wells, and later Archbishop of Canterbury.-Biography:...
(circa 909), who crowned King Athelstan. Athelm and his nephew Saint Dunstan
Dunstan
Dunstan was an Abbot of Glastonbury Abbey, a Bishop of Worcester, a Bishop of London, and an Archbishop of Canterbury, later canonised as a saint. His work restored monastic life in England and reformed the English Church...
both became Archbishops of Canterbury
Archbishop of Canterbury
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...
. It was also around this time that Wells Cathedral School
Wells Cathedral School
Wells Cathedral School is a co-educational independent school located in Wells, Somerset, England. The school is one of the five established musical schools for school-age children in the United Kingdom, along with Chetham's School of Music, the Yehudi Menuhin School, the Purcell School and St....
was founded.
Present structure
Josceline de Bohon
Josceline de Bohon was an English religious leader.-Life:...
, who died in 1184.
Wells Cathedral dates primarily from the late 12th century and early 13th century; the nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
and transept
Transept
For the periodical go to The Transept.A transept is a transverse section, of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In Christian churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform building in Romanesque and Gothic Christian church architecture...
are examples of the Early English style of architecture. It was largely complete at the time of its dedication in 1239.
The bishop responsible for the construction was Jocelyn of Wells, a brother of Bishop Hugh II of Lincoln
Hugh de Wells
Hugh of Wells was a medieval Bishop of Lincoln. He began his career in the diocese of Bath, where he served two successive bishops, before joining royal service under King John of England...
, and one of the bishops at the signing of Magna Carta
Magna Carta
Magna Carta is an English charter, originally issued in the year 1215 and reissued later in the 13th century in modified versions, which included the most direct challenges to the monarch's authority to date. The charter first passed into law in 1225...
. Jocelyn's building campaigns also included the Bishop's Palace
Bishop's Palace, Wells
The Bishop's Palace, Wells, Somerset, England, is adjacent to Wells Cathedral and has been the home of the Bishops of the Diocese of Bath and Wells for 800 years....
, a choristers' school, a grammar school
Grammar school
A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages but more recently an academically-oriented secondary school.The original purpose of mediaeval...
, hospital
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
for travellers and a chapel
Chapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
. He also built a manor at Wookey
Wookey
Wookey is a village and civil parish west of Wells, on the River Axe in the Mendip district of Somerset, England. Wookey is often confused with its sister village Wookey Hole which is perhaps best known today for the Wookey Hole Caves...
, near Wells. The master mason designer associated with Jocelyn was Elias of Dereham
Elias of Dereham
Elias of Dereham was a master stonemason designer, closely associated with Bishop Jocelin of Wells.Elias became a Canon of Salisbury, and oversaw the construction of Salisbury Cathedral. He was also responsible for building work at Clarendon Palace.The chapter house at Salisbury Cathedral displays...
. Jocelyn lived to see the church dedicated, but despite much lobbying of Rome, died before cathedral status was granted in 1245. He died on 19 November 1242, at Wells and was buried in the choir of Wells Cathedral.
He may have been the father of Nicholas of Wells. The memorial brass
Monumental brass
Monumental brass is a species of engraved sepulchral memorial which in the early part of the 13th century began to partially take the place of three-dimensional monuments and effigies carved in stone or wood...
on his tomb is supposedly one of the earliest brasses in England.
Masons continued with the enrichment of the West Front until about 1260.
King John was excommunicated between 1209 and 1213. During this time, work on the cathedral was suspended. In this period, building technology advanced so that bigger blocks of masonry could be moved and incorporated into the walls. The effect of this technological advance can be seen on the walls of the cathedral; at a particular point in the building's walls, the blocks of stone can be seen to increase in size.
Chapter house
A chapter house or chapterhouse is a building or room attached to a cathedral or collegiate church in which meetings are held. They can also be found in medieval monasteries....
(1306),
it already seemed too small for the developing liturgy, in particular the increasingly grand processions. A new spate of expansive building was therefore initiated with Bishop John Drokensford
John Drokensford
John Droxford , was a Bishop of Bath and Wells. He was elected 5 February 1309 and consecrated 9 November 1309....
starting the proceedings by heightening of the central tower and beginning an eight-sided Lady chapel
Lady chapel
A Lady chapel, also called Mary chapel or Marian chapel, is a traditional English term for a chapel inside a cathedral, basilica, or large church dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary...
at the far east end, finished by 1326. Thomas of Whitney was the master mason.
Bishop Ralph of Shrewsbury
Ralph of Shrewsbury
Ralph of Shrewsbury was a Bishop of Bath and Wells. He was elected 2 June 1329 and consecrated 3 September 1329...
followed, continuing the eastward extension of the quire, and the Retroquire
Retroquire
A Retroquire or Back-Choir is a term in ecclesiastical architecture that defines the space behind the high altar in a large church or cathedral, which often separates it from the end chapel.-Example:...
beyond with its forest of pillars. He also built Vicars' Close
Vicars' Close, Wells
Vicars' Close, in Wells, Somerset, England 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"....
and the Vicars' Hall, to give the men of the choir a secure place to live and dine, away from the town with all its temptations.
He enjoyed an uneasy relationship with the citizens of Wells, partly because of his imposition of taxes, and felt the need to surround his palace with crenellated
Battlement
A battlement in defensive architecture, such as that of city walls or castles, comprises a parapet , in which portions have been cut out at intervals to allow the discharge of arrows or other missiles. These cut-out portions form crenels...
walls and a moat and drawbridge.
The appointment of William Wynford
William Wynford
William Wynford was one of the most successful English master masons of the 14th century, using the new Perpendicular Gothic style. He is first mentioned in 1360 when at work at Windsor Castle as warden of masons' work...
as master mason in 1365 marked another period of activity. He was one of the foremost architects of his time and, apart from Wells, was engaged in work for the king at Windsor
Windsor, Berkshire
Windsor is an affluent suburban town and unparished area in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in Berkshire, England. It is widely known as the site of Windsor Castle, one of the official residences of the British Royal Family....
and at New College, Oxford
New College, Oxford
New College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.- Overview :The College's official name, College of St Mary, is the same as that of the older Oriel College; hence, it has been referred to as the "New College of St Mary", and is now almost always...
and Winchester Cathedral
Winchester Cathedral
Winchester Cathedral at Winchester in Hampshire is one of the largest cathedrals in England, with the longest nave and overall length of any Gothic cathedral in Europe...
. Under Bishop John Harewell
John Harewell
John Harewell was a Roman Catholic Bishop of Bath and Wells in medieval England.Harewell came from Harwell in Berkshire . He was in the employ of the Black Prince before being selected, on 14 December 1366, as Bishop of Bath and Wells. He was consecrated on 7 March 1367 and died around 16 July...
, who raised money for the project, he built the south-west tower of the West Front and designed the north west, which was completed later. Inside the building he filled in the early English lancet window
Lancet window
A lancet window is a tall narrow window with a pointed arch at its top. It acquired the "lancet" name from its resemblance to a lance. Instances of this architectural motif are most often found in Gothic and ecclesiastical structures, where they are often placed singly or in pairs.The motif first...
s with delicate tracery.
In the 14th century, the central piers
Pier (architecture)
In architecture, a pier is an upright support for a superstructure, such as an arch or bridge. Sections of wall between openings function as piers. The simplest cross section of the pier is square, or rectangular, although other shapes are also common, such as the richly articulated piers of Donato...
of the crossing
Crossing (architecture)
A crossing, in ecclesiastical architecture, is the junction of the four arms of a cruciform church.In a typically oriented church , the crossing gives access to the nave on the west, the transept arms on the north and south, and the choir on the east.The crossing is sometimes surmounted by a tower...
were found to be sinking under the weight of the crossing
Crossing (architecture)
A crossing, in ecclesiastical architecture, is the junction of the four arms of a cruciform church.In a typically oriented church , the crossing gives access to the nave on the west, the transept arms on the north and south, and the choir on the east.The crossing is sometimes surmounted by a tower...
tower, which had been damaged by an earthquake the previous century. "Scissor arches" (inverted strainer arches that are such a striking feature) were inserted to brace and stabilize the piers as a unit, by William Joy the master mason of the time.
Tudors and civil war
By the reign of Henry VIIHenry VII of England
Henry VII was King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizing the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death on 21 April 1509, as the first monarch of the House of Tudor....
the cathedral building was complete, with an appearance much as today. Following the dissolution of the monasteries
Dissolution of the Monasteries
The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the set of administrative and legal processes between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded monasteries, priories, convents and friaries in England, Wales and Ireland; appropriated their...
in 1541 the income of the cathedral was reduced; as a result medieval brasses
Monumental brass
Monumental brass is a species of engraved sepulchral memorial which in the early part of the 13th century began to partially take the place of three-dimensional monuments and effigies carved in stone or wood...
were sold off, and a pulpit
Pulpit
Pulpit is a speakers' stand in a church. In many Christian churches, there are two speakers' stands at the front of the church. Typically, the one on the left is called the pulpit...
was placed in the nave for the first time. Between 1551 and 1568, in two periods as Dean, William Turner established a Herbal garden, which has been recreated between 2003 and 2010.
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
gave both the Chapter and the Vicars Choral a new charter in 1591 which created a new governing body, consisting of the dean and eight residentiary canons. This body had control over the estates of the church as well as complete authority over its affairs, but removed its right to elect its own dean.
The stability which the new charter brought came to an end with the onset of the civil war
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
and the execution of Charles I
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
. Local fighting led to damage to the fabric of the cathedral including stonework, furniture and windows. The dean at this time was Dr. Walter Raleigh, a nephew of the explorer Sir Walter Raleigh
Walter Raleigh
Sir Walter Raleigh was an English aristocrat, writer, poet, soldier, courtier, spy, and explorer. He is also well known for popularising tobacco in England....
. He was imprisoned after the fall of Bridgwater
Bridgwater
Bridgwater is a market town and civil parish in Somerset, England. It is the administrative centre of the Sedgemoor district, and a major industrial centre. Bridgwater is located on the major communication routes through South West England...
to the Parliamentarians
Roundhead
"Roundhead" was the nickname given to the supporters of the Parliament during the English Civil War. Also known as Parliamentarians, they fought against King Charles I and his supporters, the Cavaliers , who claimed absolute power and the divine right of kings...
in 1645, brought back to Wells and confined in the deanery. His jailer was the local shoe maker and city constable, David Barrett, who caught him writing a letter to his wife. When he refused to surrender it, Mr Barrett ran him through with a sword, from which he died six weeks later,
on 10 October 1646 and he was buried in the choir before the dean's stall. No inscription marks his grave.
During the Commonwealth of England
Commonwealth of England
The Commonwealth of England was the republic which ruled first England, and then Ireland and Scotland from 1649 to 1660. Between 1653–1659 it was known as the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland...
under Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader who overthrew the English monarchy and temporarily turned England into a republican Commonwealth, and served as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland....
no dean was appointed and the building fell into disrepair. The bishop was in retirement and some clergy were reduced to performing menial tasks.
1660–1800
In 1661 when Charles IICharles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
was restored to the throne, Robert Creyghtone, who had served as the king's chaplain in exile, was appointed as the dean and later served as the bishop for two years before his death in 1672. His magnificent brass lectern, given in thanksgiving, can still be seen in the cathedral. He donated the great west window of the nave at a cost of £140.
Following Creyghtone's appointment as Bishop Ralph Bathurst
Ralph Bathurst
Ralph Bathurst was an English theologian and physician.-Early life:He was born in Hothorpe, Northamptonshire in 1620 and educated at King Henry VIII School, Coventry.He graduated with a B.A...
, who had been president of Trinity College, Oxford
Trinity College, Oxford
The College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity in the University of Oxford, of the foundation of Sir Thomas Pope , or Trinity College for short, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It stands on Broad Street, next door to Balliol College and Blackwells bookshop,...
,
chaplain to the king, fellow of the Royal Society
Royal Society
The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
, took over as the dean. During his long tenure restoration of the fabric of the cathedral took place. During the Monmouth Rebellion
Monmouth Rebellion
The Monmouth Rebellion,The Revolt of the West or The West Country rebellion of 1685, was an attempt to overthrow James II, who had become King of England, King of Scots and King of Ireland at the death of his elder brother Charles II on 6 February 1685. James II was a Roman Catholic, and some...
of 1685, puritan soldiers damaged the West front, tore lead from the roof to make bullets, broke the windows, smashed the organ and the furnishings, and for a time stabled their horses in the nave.
The work of restoration had to start all over again under Bishop Thomas Ken
Thomas Ken
Thomas Ken was an English cleric who was considered the most eminent of the English non-juring bishops, and one of the fathers of modern English hymnology.-Early life:...
who was appointed in that year and served until 1691. He was one of seven bishops imprisoned for refusing to sign King James II's "Declaration of Indulgence", which would have enabled Catholics to resume positions of political power, but popular support led to his acquittal. He later refused to take the oath of allegiance to William and Mary
William and Mary
The phrase William and Mary usually refers to the coregency over the Kingdoms of England, Scotland and Ireland, of King William III & II and Queen Mary II...
because James II
James II of England
James II & VII was King of England and King of Ireland as James II and King of Scotland as James VII, from 6 February 1685. He was the last Catholic monarch to reign over the Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland...
had not formally abdicated. Thomas Ken and others (known as the Non-Jurors; the older meaning of "juror" is "one who takes an oath", hence "perjurer" as "one who swears falsely") refused and were put out of office. He was forced to retire to Frome
Frome
Frome is a town and civil parish in northeast Somerset, England. Located at the eastern end of the Mendip Hills, the town is built on uneven high ground, and centres around the River Frome. The town is approximately south of Bath, east of the county town, Taunton and west of London. In the 2001...
.
Bishop Kidder
Richard Kidder
Richard Kidder was an English Anglican churchman, Bishop of Bath and Wells from 1691 to his death. He was a noted theologian.He was educated at Emmanuel College, Cambridge, where he was a sizar, from 1649, graduating 1652. He became a Fellow there in 1655, and vicar of Stranground,...
who succeeded him was killed during the Great Storm of 1703
Great Storm of 1703
The Great Storm of 1703 was the most severe storm or natural disaster ever recorded in the southern part of Great Britain. It affected southern England and the English Channel in the Kingdom of Great Britain...
, when two chimney stacks in the palace fell on the bishop and his wife, asleep in bed.
This same storm wrecked the Eddystone lighthouse
Eddystone Lighthouse
Eddystone Lighthouse is on the treacherous Eddystone Rocks, south west of Rame Head, United Kingdom. While Rame Head is in Cornwall, the rocks are in Devon and composed of Precambrian Gneiss....
and blew in part of the great west window in Wells.
Victorian era and restoration
Victorian restoration
Victorian restoration is the term commonly used to refer to the widespread and extensive refurbishment and rebuilding of Church of England churches and cathedrals that took place in England and Wales during the 19th-century reign of Queen Victoria...
was needed. Under Dean Goodenough the monuments were removed to the cloisters and remaining medieval paint and whitewash
Whitewash
Whitewash, or calcimine, kalsomine, calsomine, or lime paint is a very low-cost type of paint made from slaked lime and chalk . Various other additives are also used...
was removed in an operation known as 'the great scrape'.
Anthony Salvin
Anthony Salvin
Anthony Salvin was an English architect. He gained a reputation as an expert on medieval buildings and applied this expertise to his new buildings and his restorations...
, took charge of the extensive restoration of the quire. The wooden galleries were removed and new stalls with stone canopies were placed further back within the line of the arches. The stone screen was pushed outwards in the centre to support a new organ
Organ (music)
The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
. Since then a rolling programme of improvement to the fabric has been continued.
Harry Patch
Henry John "Harry" Patch , known in his latter years as "the Last Fighting Tommy", was a British supercentenarian, briefly the oldest man in Europe, and the last surviving soldier to have fought in the trenches of the First World War...
, the last British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
veteran of the First World War, who died in July 2009 at the age of 111.
Original records
Three early registers of the dean and chapter of Wells – the Liber Albus I (White Book; R I), Liber Albus II (R III), and Liber Ruber (Red Book; R II, section i) – were edited by W. H. B. Bird for the Historical Manuscripts Commissioners and published in 1907. These three books comprise, with some repetition, a cartulary of possessions of the cathedral, with grants of land dating back as early as the 8th century, well before the development of hereditary surnames in England; acts of the dean and chapter; and surveys of their estates, mostly in Somerset.Architecture
The west façade, is 100 feet (30 m) high and 150 feet (46 m) wide with niches for more than 500 medieval figure sculptures of which 300 survive. Between 1975 and 1986 the west front underwent a major cleaning and restoration programme, including Silane
Silane
Silane is a toxic, extremely flammable chemical compound with chemical formula SiH4. In 1857, the German chemists and Friedrich Woehler discovered silane among the products formed by the action of hydrochloric acid on aluminum silicide, which they had previously prepared...
coating and Lime
Lime (mineral)
Lime is a general term for calcium-containing inorganic materials, in which carbonates, oxides and hydroxides predominate. Strictly speaking, lime is calcium oxide or calcium hydroxide. It is also the name for a single mineral of the CaO composition, occurring very rarely...
treatment for many of the statues.
The West front is composed of a yellow stone, inferior oolite
Oolite
Oolite is a sedimentary rock formed from ooids, spherical grains composed of concentric layers. The name derives from the Hellenic word òoion for egg. Strictly, oolites consist of ooids of diameter 0.25–2 mm; rocks composed of ooids larger than 2 mm are called pisolites...
, of the middle Jurassic
Middle Jurassic
The Middle Jurassic is the second epoch of the Jurassic Period. It lasted from 176-161 million years ago. In European lithostratigraphy, rocks of this Middle Jurassic age are called the Dogger....
period which came from the Doulting Stone Quarry
Doulting Stone Quarry
Doulting Stone Quarry is a limestone quarry at Doulting, on the Mendip Hills, Somerset, England.At Present there are only three quarries in the country quarrying Doulting stone. The Largest has been producing stone since Roman times....
about 8 miles (13 km) to the East.
Stained glass
Many of the windows were damaged by soldiers in 1642 and 1643. The oldest surviving are two windows on the west side of the Chapter House staircase date from 1280–90, and two windows in the south choir aisle which are from 1310–1320. The Lady Chapel
Lady chapel
A Lady chapel, also called Mary chapel or Marian chapel, is a traditional English term for a chapel inside a cathedral, basilica, or large church dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary...
range is from 1325–1330,
and includes images of local saint Dunstan
Dunstan
Dunstan was an Abbot of Glastonbury Abbey, a Bishop of Worcester, a Bishop of London, and an Archbishop of Canterbury, later canonised as a saint. His work restored monastic life in England and reformed the English Church...
,
however the east window underwent extensive repairs by Thomas Willement
Thomas Willement
Thomas Willement, 1786–1871, was a British stained glass artist, called “the Father of Victorian Stained Glass”, active from 1811 to 1865.-Biographical:Willement was born on the 18th July 1786 at St Marylebone, London....
in 1845.
The choir east window is a fine Jesse Tree, which includes significant silver stain, and is flanked by two windows each side in the clerestory
Clerestory
Clerestory is an architectural term that historically denoted an upper level of a Roman basilica or of the nave of a Romanesque or Gothic church, the walls of which rise above the rooflines of the lower aisles and are pierced with windows. In modern usage, clerestory refers to any high windows...
, with large figures of saints, all of which are from 1340–1345. In 2010 a major conservation programme was undertaken on the Jesse window. The 1520 panels in the chapel of St Katherine
Catherine of Alexandria
Saint Catherine of Alexandria, also known as Saint Catherine of the Wheel and The Great Martyr Saint Catherine is, according to tradition, a Christian saint and virgin, who was martyred in the early 4th century at the hands of the pagan emperor Maxentius...
are attributed to Arnold of Nijmegen
and were acquired from the destroyed church of Saint-Jean, Rouen
Rouen
Rouen , in northern France on the River Seine, is the capital of the Haute-Normandie region and the historic capital city of Normandy. Once one of the largest and most prosperous cities of medieval Europe , it was the seat of the Exchequer of Normandy in the Middle Ages...
,
the last panel was bought in 1953.
The large triple lancet to the nave west end was glazed at the expense of Dean Creyghton at a cost of £140 in 1664 and repaired in 1813. The central light was largely replaced to a design by Archibald Keightley Nicholson
Archibald Keightley Nicholson
Archibald Keightley Nicholson was an English 20th century ecclesiastical stained-glass maker. His father was Charles Nicholson and his two brothers, Charles and Sydney, were a church architect and church musician respectively....
between 1925–1931. The main north and south transept end windows are by Powell, and were erected in the early 20th century.
Fittings and monuments
The brass
Brass
Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc; the proportions of zinc and copper can be varied to create a range of brasses with varying properties.In comparison, bronze is principally an alloy of copper and tin...
lectern
Lectern
A lectern is a reading desk with a slanted top, usually placed on a stand or affixed to some other form of support, on which documents or books are placed as support for reading aloud, as in a scripture reading, lecture, or sermon...
in the Lady Chapel is from 1661 and has a moulded stand and foliate crest. In the north transept chapel is a 17th century oak screen with columns, formerly part of cow stalls, with artisan Ionic
Ionic order
The Ionic order forms one of the three orders or organizational systems of classical architecture, the other two canonic orders being the Doric and the Corinthian...
capitals and cornice, which is set forward over chest tomb of John Godelee. There is a bound oak chest from the 14th century which would have been used to store the Chapter Seal and key documents. The Bishop's Throne dates from 1340, and has a panelled, canted front and stone doorway, and a deep nodding cusped ogee canopy over it, with 3 stepped statue niches and pinnacles. The throne was restored by Anthony Salvin
Anthony Salvin
Anthony Salvin was an English architect. He gained a reputation as an expert on medieval buildings and applied this expertise to his new buildings and his restorations...
around 1850. Opposite the throne is a 19th century pulpit, which is octagonal on a coved base with panelled sides, and steps up from the north aisle. The round font in the south transept is from the former Saxon cathedral, it has an arcade of round-headed arches, on a round plinth and a cover made in 1635 cover with heads of putti round sides. The Chapel of St Martin is a memorial to every Somerset man who fell in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
The monuments and tombs include: Bishop Giso, died 1088: Bishop Bytton
William of Bitton II
William of Bitton, usually known as William of Bitton II was a medieval Bishop of Bath and Wells.-Life:...
died 1274: Bishop William of March
William of March
William of March was a medieval Lord High Treasurer of England and a Bishop of Bath and Wells.-Life:William was always referred to as magister, and may have attended and graduated from Oxford University. He was controller of the wardrobe from 1283 to 1290 and Dean of St. Martin's-le-Grand before...
, died 1302: John Drokensford
John Drokensford
John Droxford , was a Bishop of Bath and Wells. He was elected 5 February 1309 and consecrated 9 November 1309....
, died 1329: John Godelee, died 1333: John Middleton, died c1350: Ralph of Shrewsbury
Ralph of Shrewsbury
Ralph of Shrewsbury was a Bishop of Bath and Wells. He was elected 2 June 1329 and consecrated 3 September 1329...
, died 1363: Bishop Harewell
John Harewell
John Harewell was a Roman Catholic Bishop of Bath and Wells in medieval England.Harewell came from Harwell in Berkshire . He was in the employ of the Black Prince before being selected, on 14 December 1366, as Bishop of Bath and Wells. He was consecrated on 7 March 1367 and died around 16 July...
died 1386: William Bykonyll died c1448: John Bernard, died 1459: Bishop Bekynton
Thomas Beckington
Thomas Beckington was the Bishop of Bath and Wells and King's Secretary in medieval England.-Life:...
, died 1464: John Gunthorpe
John Gunthorpe
-Education and career:He was a student at Cambridge University and he had already entered into clergyship and had received holy orders. By private appointment Gunthorpe served as a secretary to Queen Elizabeth I. By 1452 he was the master of the arts at Cambridge University and served as a junior...
, died 1498: John Still
John Still
John Still , bishop of Bath and Wells enjoyed considerable fame as a preacher and disputant. He was formerly reputed to be the author of the early English comedy drama Gammer Gurton's Needle .-Career:...
died 1607: Robert Creyghton died 1672: Bishop Kidder
Richard Kidder
Richard Kidder was an English Anglican churchman, Bishop of Bath and Wells from 1691 to his death. He was a noted theologian.He was educated at Emmanuel College, Cambridge, where he was a sizar, from 1649, graduating 1652. He became a Fellow there in 1655, and vicar of Stranground,...
, died 1703: Bishop Hooper
George Hooper
George Hooper was a learned and influential high churchman of the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. He served as bishop of the Welsh diocese, St Asaph, and later for the diocese of Bath and Wells, as well as chaplain to members of the royal family.-Early life:George Hooper was born...
, died 1727 and Bishop Harvey
Arthur Charles Hervey
Lord Arthur Charles Hervey was an English bishop of Bath and Wells. He was usually known by his aristocratic courtesy title Lord, rather than the style appropriate to a bishop, Right Reverend.-Life:...
died 1894.
Two carvings in the West Cloister, now near the gift shop and cafe, have been described as being Sheela na Gig
Sheela Na Gig
Sheela na gigs are figurative carvings of naked women displaying an exaggerated vulva. They are found on churches, castles and other buildings, particularly in Ireland and Britain, sometimes together with male figures. One of the best examples may be found in the Round Tower at Rattoo, in County...
s, however they are not typical and this classification has been challenged.
Clock
The Wells clockWells Cathedral clock
The Wells Cathedral clock is an astronomical clock in the north transept of Wells Cathedral, England.The clock is one of the group of famous 14th to 16th century astronomical clocks to be found in the West of England....
, an astronomical clock
Astronomical clock
An astronomical clock is a clock with special mechanisms and dials to display astronomical information, such as the relative positions of the sun, moon, zodiacal constellations, and sometimes major planets.-Definition:...
, is located in the north transept
Transept
For the periodical go to The Transept.A transept is a transverse section, of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In Christian churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform building in Romanesque and Gothic Christian church architecture...
. The surviving mechanism, dated to between 1386 and 1392, was replaced in the 19th century, and was eventually moved to the Science Museum
Science Museum (London)
The Science Museum is one of the three major museums on Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. It is part of the National Museum of Science and Industry. The museum is a major London tourist attraction....
in London, where it continues to operate. It is the second-oldest surviving clock in England.
The dial represents a pre-Copernican
Copernican Revolution
The Copernican Revolution refers to the paradigm shift away from the Ptolemaic model of the heavens, which postulated the Earth at the center of the galaxy, towards the heliocentric model with the Sun at the center of our Solar System...
or geocentric view of the universe, with sun and moon revolving round a central fixed earth, like the astronomical clock at Ottery St Mary
Ottery St Mary
Ottery St Mary, known as "Ottery" , is a town in the East Devon district of Devon, England, on the River Otter, about ten miles east of Exeter on the B3174. It is part of a large civil parish of the same name, which also covers the villages of West Hill, Metcombe, Fairmile, Alfington, Tipton St...
. The clock still has its original medieval face. As well as showing the time on a 24 hour dial, it reflects the motion of the sun and the moon, the phases of the moon
Lunar phase
A lunar phase or phase of the moon is the appearance of the illuminated portion of the Moon as seen by an observer, usually on Earth. The lunar phases change cyclically as the Moon orbits the Earth, according to the changing relative positions of the Earth, Moon, and Sun...
, and the time since the last new moon.
When the clock strikes every quarter, jousting
Jousting
Jousting is a martial game or hastilude between two knights mounted on horses and using lances, often as part of a tournament.Jousting emerged in the High Middle Ages based on the military use of the lance by heavy cavalry. The first camels tournament was staged in 1066, but jousting itself did not...
knights move around above the clock and the Quarter jack marks the quarter hours with his heels. The outside clock face, opposite Vicars' Hall, placed there just over seventy years after the interior clock, is driven by the inside mechanism. In 2010 the official clock-winder retired and was replaced by an electric mechanism.
Misericords
The Cathedral has 64 misericordMisericord
A misericord is a small wooden shelf on the underside of a folding seat in a church, installed to provide a degree of comfort for a person who has to stand during long periods of prayer.-Origins:...
s dating from 1330 to 1340, twelve of which were never completed. Although a few represent everyday scenes, such as two goats butting each other and a lamb sucking from a ewe, most have a mythological theme.
Library
The cathedral is also famous for its library, which was built in the mid-15th century. Located over the East Cloister, the library holds the Chapter's collection in two rooms, with volumes published before 1800 being held in the Old Library. The library's medieval collection was destroyed during the reformation. The cathedral's earliest records are held in the MunimentMuniment
A Muniment or Muniment of Title is a legal term for a document, or other evidence, that indicates ownership of an asset. The word is derived from munimentum, the Latin word for a defensive fortification...
Room at the southern end of the Library. The volumes held reflect the Canons' wide-ranging intellectual interests. The collection's core subject is theology, but science, medicine, history, exploration and languages are also well-represented. The library is open to the public at appointed times during summer, with a small exhibition of documents and books.
Bells
Wells Cathedral has ten bells. These are the heaviest ring of ten bells in the world, with a tenor bell, known as Harewell, that weighs 56.25 long hundredweights (2,857.6 kg). They are hung for full circle ringing in the English style of Change ringingChange ringing
Change ringing is the art of ringing a set of tuned bells in a series of mathematical patterns called "changes". It differs from many other forms of campanology in that no attempt is made to produce a conventional melody....
. These bells are now hung in the South West Tower although originally a small number of bells were hung in the lantern.
The oldest bells are the 3rd, 4th, 5th, 7th and 8th that date from 1757 and were made by Abel Rudhall. The 3rd weighs 10 long cwt (508 kg), the 4th 10.75 long cwt (546.1 kg), the 5th 12.5 long cwt (635 kg), The 7th 20 long cwt (1,016 kg) and the 8th 23 long cwt (1,168.5 kg). In 1877 bells 9 and 10 were cast by John Taylor & Co. The 9th weighs 32 long cwt (1,625.7 kg) and the 10th . The 1st and 2nd date from 1891 and were made by Mears & Stainbank. The 1st weighs while the 2nd weighs . The most recent bell, the 6th, was cast in 1964 also by Mears & Stainbank and weighs .
Deans of Wells
The Dean of WellsDean of Wells
The Dean of Wells is the head of the Chapter of Wells Cathedral in the Mendip district of Somerset, England. The current Dean is the Very Revd John Clarke, who lives in The Dean's Lodging, 25 The Liberty, Wells.-List of the Deans of Wells:*1140–1164 Ivo...
is the head of the Chapter
Chapter (religion)
Chapter designates certain corporate ecclesiastical bodies in the Roman Catholic, Anglican and Nordic Lutheran churches....
of Wells Cathedral. The current Dean
Dean (religion)
A dean, in a church context, is a cleric holding certain positions of authority within a religious hierarchy. The title is used mainly in the Anglican Communion and the Roman Catholic Church.-Anglican Communion:...
is the Very Revd John Clarke
John Clarke (Dean of Wells)
The Very Rev. John Martin Clarke is the current Dean of Wells. He was born on 20 February 1952 and attended West Buckland School, Hertford College, Oxford and Edinburgh University. After a period of study at Edinburgh Theological College he was ordained in 1977...
, who lives in The Dean's Lodging, 25 The Liberty, Wells.
Organ and organists
Thomas Dallam
Dallam was the surname of a family of English organ builders, active in England and Brittany.The first known member of the family, Thomas Dallam, originated from Dallam in Lancashire.-Thomas Dallam I:The first Thomas Dallam Dallam was the surname of a family of English organ builders, active in...
, was installed at a cost of £398 1s 5d, however this was destroyed by parliamentary soldiers in 1643 and another new organ was built in 1662,
which was enlarged in 1786,
and again in 1855.
In 1909–1910 a new organ was built by Harrison & Harrison
Harrison & Harrison
Harrison & Harrison Ltd are a British company that make and restore pipe organs, based in Durham and established in 1861. They are well known for their work on instruments such as King's College Cambridge, Westminster Abbey and the Royal Festival Hall....
with the best parts of old organ retained,
and this has been maintained by the same company since.
The first recorded organist of Wells Cathedral was Walter Bagele (or Vageler) in 1416, and the post of organist or assistant organist has been held by over 60 individual since then. The current organist is Matthew Owens who took up the post in 2005. Jonathan Vaughn was appointed as assistant organist in 2007, and the current organ scholars are Sachin Gunga and Owain Park.
Media
In filming for the 2007 Doctor WhoDoctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
episode The Lazarus Experiment
The Lazarus Experiment
"The Lazarus Experiment" is an episode of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was broadcast on BBC One on 5 May 2007 and is the sixth episode of Series 3 of the revived Doctor Who series. It stars David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor and Martha Jones as his companion, played...
the cathedral interior stood in for that of Southwark Cathedral
Southwark Cathedral
Southwark Cathedral or The Cathedral and Collegiate Church of St Saviour and St Mary Overie, Southwark, London, lies on the south bank of the River Thames close to London Bridge....
. Parts of the Academy Award-nominated 2007 film Elizabeth: The Golden Age were also filmed in the cathedral.
It was also used as inspiration for Ken Follett's novel Pillars of the Earth, and (with a heavily modified central tower) was used to represent the completed Kingsbridge Cathedral at the end of the 2010 television adaptation.
See also
- Architecture of the medieval cathedrals of EnglandArchitecture of the medieval cathedrals of EnglandThe medieval cathedrals of England, dating from between approximately 1040 and 1540, are a group of twenty-six buildings which together constitute a major aspect of the country’s artistic heritage and are among the most significant material symbols of Christianity. Though diversified in style, they...
- William Robinson ClarkWilliam Robinson ClarkWilliam Robinson Clark FRSC was a Scottish-Canadian theologian. He was born in Daviot, Aberdeenshire, son of James Clark. Originally educated for the Congregationalist ministry at New College London, he later conformed to the Church of England. After graduating from King's College, Aberdeen MA...
DeanDean (religion)A dean, in a church context, is a cleric holding certain positions of authority within a religious hierarchy. The title is used mainly in the Anglican Communion and the Roman Catholic Church.-Anglican Communion:...
of TauntonTauntonTaunton is the county town of Somerset, England. The town, including its suburbs, had an estimated population of 61,400 in 2001. It is the largest town in the shire county of Somerset....
and prebendary of Wells 1859–1880. - Diocese of Bath and WellsDiocese of Bath and WellsThe Diocese of Bath and Wells is a diocese in the Church of England Province of Canterbury in England.The diocese covers the county of Somerset and a small area of Dorset. The Episcopal seat of the Bishop of Bath and Wells is located in the Cathedral Church of Saint Andrew in the tiny city of...
- English Gothic architectureEnglish Gothic architectureEnglish Gothic is the name of the architectural style that flourished in England from about 1180 until about 1520.-Introduction:As with the Gothic architecture of other parts of Europe, English Gothic is defined by its pointed arches, vaulted roofs, buttresses, large windows, and spires...
- List of Bishops of Bath and Wells and precursor offices
- List of cathedrals in the United Kingdom
- List of Church of England dioceses