Wells Cathedral

General information

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; the eastern end has retained much original glass, rare in England.

Wells Cathedral has been welcoming pilgrims and tourists for over 1100 years and today receives over 200,000 visitors a year from all over the world.

You may wish to walk around the Cathedral and discover it for yourselves or attend a service but we do recommend a free scheduled tour by one of our highly trained guides. Tours last approximately 1 hour and can add significantly to your enjoyment and appreciation of the Cathedral.

Vicars' Close

Situated by the Chain Gate and through an arch to the east of Wells Cathedral, the majority of houses in Vicars’ Close are occupied by employees of the Cathedral including the Vicars’ Choral (the men of the choir), for whom the houses were built c1360, and who have been singing the services in the Cathedral since the early Middle Ages. Stepping through the arch onto the cobbled street of the Close is to enter an earlier world and yet you will be just a short walk from the busy High Street of the City of Wells with its variety of shops and eating places.

You may be coming to Wells to enjoy the picturesque surroundings of the smallest city in England, on the edge of the beautiful Mendip Hills or to venture further a field to the larger and easily accessible cities of Bath or Bristol (each approximately 20 miles away). Perhaps the reputation that Wells Cathedral has for its music, both at services and concerts, has tempted you to come and stay.

Hire a Venue

Wells Cathedral is a vibrant, busy place. In addition to hundreds of thousands of visitors, we are host to a wide variety of events, concerts and services. These vary in scale from intimate supper concerts to huge services and national broadcasts.

If you are interested in using Wells Cathedral or its precincts as a venue for a function, concert, service or other event, please contact us for further information. Please note the Cathedral diary is booked well in advance for certain dates/events.