July 2006
The pond of beautifully clear water in the forground houses one of the natural springs that give "Wells" its name. It's still the water supply for the Palace moat.
Cathedral West front
The West Front (c. 1230) contains one of the largest galleries of medieval sculpture in the world.
East view
The cathedral from the East, looking over the allotments
Just to the right of the retro-choir you can see the pinnacles of the octagonal Chapter House, built in 1306.
Courtyard of the Bishop's Palace
Despite originally planning to visit the cathedral, we found ourselves spending almost the whole afternoon in the Bishop's Palace and its gardens. At first we were uncertain about the ticket price (£5) for "a mere garden", but this has to be one of the best visits we've yet made. If I lived around Wells, I'd unquestionably have a season ticket.
Tower of the ruined Great Hall
At one time the Palace also had a large banqueting hall, no doubt popular with the Baby-Eating Bishop of Bath and Wells. This Great Hall fell into ruins and in the 19th century it had become a pictureseque ruin. Two walls remain and this isolated tower.
Tower of the ruined Great Hall
There's a bautifully peaceful quality to these gardens, which makes the whole lifestyle of the professional managerial cleric very attractive. I kept expecting to see an Aardvark wandering the grounds.
Tower of the ruined Great Hall
A fine location for Gothick Posturing (if you're that way inclined).
The figures on the benches below seem to think so.
Here be Dragons!
Staircase inside the palace.
I can also recommend their Cream Teas. Under two quid for a pot of decent tea and a scone with lashings of cream and jam. Proper milkjug too. Even my Mother would approve.
The original Glastonbury chair
The famous Glastonbury chair
Often (too often) reproduced by re-enactors, this is the genuine original. It's also the first of half-a-dozen I saw just in that one day.
Another early turned chair
Before the development of joinery for making chairs, the few recognisable chairs around (most people sat on stools, chests or low benches) were often made by woodturners. In the absence of saws, the lathe was the first "power tool" in widespread use. Because they could, turners also tended to the overly decorated.
This is mentioned in Chinnery as one of the three most significant turned chairs of this style and period (along with the Harvard Chair). This example is rather more complex than the others though, with lots of captive-ring turning work.
The Sentinels
Also on display was "Sacred and Profane", an exhibition of sculpture by Philip Jackson
The figures were life-size or larger bronzes and maquettes, all with a religious or Mozartian feeling to them or even a comedy Don Juan at times: big hats, masked faces hidden behind cowls, tiny gilded details.
Continuing the retro comics theme, there's a bit of a Nemesis the Warlock look about this group.
Dogerina's Progress
"Dogerina"? Could there be a female Doge? Or is that as subversive an idea as the Pope Joan statue?
These works were also displayed last year at West Dean Gardens, Chichester.
Gale Force Nun
Some of the works had a more whimsical quality to them. A few bordered on the downright irreverent.
The crenellated wall behind is the palace wall with the moat beyond it. Built as a defensive measure (and even used militarily during the Civil War) the fortified Palace gained a more peaceful aspect under the hardly timorous Bishop Ken. When he wasn't turfing Nell Gwynne out of his house, being locked up in the Tower for resisting James II's Catholicism in England, or being defrocked for not swearing allegiance to the Protestant William out of loyalty to James (no, I don't understand that bit either) he could be found walking these ramparts and composing hymns.
The exhibition continues until 20th August 2006
Camera: Nokia 6230i phone
