Wells Cathedral
Wells Cathedral is a cathedral in Wells, Somerset, which is technically only the second smallest cathedral city in England, since the City of London has a smaller resident population. It is the seat of the Bishop of Bath and Wells. Picturesque Wells is a popular tourist attraction. The wells that the Romans knew, re-dedicated to Saint Andrew, still spring abundantly in the Bishop's garden and fill the moat of the Bishop's Palace, where live the famous bell-ringing Mute Swans, trained in the 19th century to pull on chains attached below a window to a small bell, for a reward in food.
Early years
Though it is mostly Gothic in style, there are foundations of even earlier parts of the church that date to the 10th century. The first church was established on the site in 705 by King Ine of Wessex, at the urging of Saint Aldhelm, Bishop of Sherborne, in whose diocese it lay. It was dedicated to Saint Andrew: only some excavated foundations of this first church remain; these can be seen in the cloisters. The baptismal font in the south transept is the oldest surviving part of the cathedral - it dates to c.700 AD.
Two centuries later, the seat of the diocese was shifted to Wells: the first Bishop of Wells was Athelm (circa 909), who crowned King Athelstan. Athelm and his nephew St Dunstan both became Archbishops of Canterbury.
Present structure
The present structure was begun under the direction of Bishop Reginald de Bohun, who died in 1191. Wells Cathedral dates primarily from the late 12th and early 13th centuries; the nave and transept are masterpieces 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 found time and funds also to erect a manor at Wookey, near Wells. The master mason designer associated with Jocelyn was Elias of Dereham (died 1246). Jocelyn lived to see the church dedicated, but despite much lobbying of Rome, died before cathedral status was finally granted in 1245. Masons continued with the enrichment of the West front until about 1260.
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. So, a new spate of expansive building was initiated. Bishop John Drokensford started the proceedings with the heightening of the central tower and the beginnings of a dramatic eight-sided Lady Chapel at the far east end, finished by 1326. Thomas of Whitney was the master mason, a man of considerable repute.
Bishop Ralph of Shrewsbury followed, continuing with the eastward extension of the quire and the retro- quire beyond with its forest of pillars. He also built Vicars' Hall and Close, to give the men of the choir a secure place to live, 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 Harewell, who raised money for the project, he built the south-west tower of the West Front and designed the north west, which was built to match in the early 1400s. Inside the building he filled in the early English lancet windows with delicate tracery.
In the 14th century the central piers of the crossing (see plan) were found to be sinking under the weight of the crossing tower, so the famous "scissor arches" (inverted strainer arches that are such a striking feature) were inserted to brace and stabilize the piers as a unit.
The famous Wells clock was probably in place by 1390. Bishop Ralph Erghum, who had previously been Bishop of Salisbury and had installed a clock there in 1386, seems to have brought his clockmaker with him to Wells. The Wells clock is unique because it still has its original medieval face, depicting a pre Copernican universe with the earth at its centre. When the clock strikes every quarter, jousting knights rush round above the clock and the Quarter Jack bangs the quarter hours with his heels. An outside clock opposite Vicars' Hall, placed there just over seventy years after is connected with the inside mechanism.
Tudors and civil war
By the time Henry VIII came to the throne the cathedral and all its surrounding buildings were complete and substantially as they are today. It was during the reign of his son Edward VI, that a distinctly protestant style came to the fore, not only in theological matters but in outward appearance as well. Following the dissolution of the chantries in 1547 and the consequent lack of income, medieval brasses were sold off, and a pulpit was placed in the nave for the first time. The painted stonework was covered with white limewash.
After the disruptive period of Mary Tudor's reign, Elizabeth I was determined to restore harmony to her church. In Wells, she gave both the Chapter and the Vicars' Choral a new charter in 1591 and a period of relative stability ensued. This however came to an abrupt end with the onset of the civil war and the execution of Charles I.
During the fighting a considerable amount of damage was done, to stonework, furniture and windows. The dean at this time was Dr. Walter Ralegh, a nephew of Queen Elizabeth's favourite Sir Walter. So much chaos reigned that any attempt at administration was impossible. Dr. Ralegh was imprisoned after the fall of Bridgwater to the parliamentarians in 1645, brought back to Wells and confined in the deanery. The next year, following a dispute with his "gaoler" , the dean was stabbed and eventually died. He is buried in an unmarked grave before his stall in the quire.
The Commonwealth period under Oliver Cromwell saw great dilapidation and indifference towards the fabric of the Cathedral. No dean was appointed after Dr Ralegh, the bishop was in retirement and some clergy were reduced to performing menial tasks or begging on the streets. Thieves made off with lead and moveables.
1660-1800
On the restoration of Charles II, Robert Creyghtone, who had been his chaplain in exile, was appointed first dean and later bishop in Wells. 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.
Dean Ralph Bathurst was appointed in 1670 when Creyghtone became bishop. Dr. Bathurst was a man of eminence, President of Trinity College Oxford, chaplain to the king, fellow of the Royal Society and one of the foremost scientists of his day. He was a long serving dean and saw four bishops come and go. Restoration both of the fabric of the cathedral and of the spirit took place during his tenure.
The saintly bishop Thomas Ken was appointed in 1685, the year of Monmouth's rebellion when puritan soldiers again wrought havoc in the cathedral and turned part of it into a stable. Some were finally imprisoned in the cloisters .The work of restoration had to be done all over again. Ken himself was for a time imprisoned in the Tower of London for refusing with six others to accept the repeal of the Act of Uniformity. He later refused to take the oath of allegiance to William and Mary because James II had not formally abdicated. He was forced to retire to Frome and is best remembered for his prayers and hymns and his charity to the poor.
Bishop Kidder who succeeded him was killed during the great storm of 1703 when two chimneystacks 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.
Victorian era and restoration
There followed a period of gentle decline and decay with many bishops being more absent than present and several deans appointed from the laity. Consequently a major restoration programme was needed by the middle of the 1800s. Under Dean Goodenough the monuments were removed to the cloisters and 'the great scrape' was instituted in the 1840s when the whitewash was vigorously removed together with most of the remaining medieval paint.
Anthony Salvin, an architect of repute, was in 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 magnificent new organ.
Such was the success of the restoration that in the 1900s it was possible to keep a rolling programme of improvement to the fabric going and this strategy has continued to this day. It is evident from the state of the building now, that the dean and chapter have taken their duty seriously, to make and keep this a fitting place in which to worship God.
John Clarke was installed as Dean in September 2004.
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