Medieval & Religion site on Churches~Cathedrals,Castles

                       Wells began as a holy place,
                        taking its name from the springs in
                        what are now bishops palace grounds.

                      The first church was built near wells in
                   705 and the present Cathedral building was
                  begun in 1180.It is one of the most impressive
                 of the English cathedrals and has survived eight
                  centuries with all its associated buildings still
                   around it-the Chapter House,Vicars Hall,the
                cloisters and the unique Vicars Close-all treasures
                    from the 13th to the 15th centuries.Today
                the Cathedral still dominates the attractive small
                      City in the heart of Somerset,England.

          
                                     EARLY YEARS

There is archaeological evidence of a late Ancient Roman mausoleum on the site.
It was dedicated to Saint Andrew.The only remains of this first church are some excavated foundations which can be seen in the cloisters. 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 Athlem (circa 909), who crowned King Athelstan. Athelm and his nephew Saint Dunstan both became Archbishops of Canterbury.