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<< Our Photo Pages >> Wells Cathedral - Early Christian Sculptured Stone in England in Somerset

Submitted by Anne T on Tuesday, 11 June 2019  Page Views: 677

Early Medieval (Dark Age)Site Name: Wells Cathedral Alternative Name: St Andrew's Cathedral Church (Wells)
Country: England County: Somerset Type: Early Christian Sculptured Stone
Nearest Town: Wells
Map Ref: ST5514645865
Latitude: 51.210219N  Longitude: 2.643494W
Condition:
5Perfect
4Almost Perfect
3Reasonable but with some damage
2Ruined but still recognisable as an ancient site
1Pretty much destroyed, possibly visible as crop marks
0No data.
-1Completely destroyed
4 Ambience:
5Superb
4Good
3Ordinary
2Not Good
1Awful
0No data.
4 Access:
5Can be driven to, probably with disabled access
4Short walk on a footpath
3Requiring a bit more of a walk
2A long walk
1In the middle of nowhere, a nightmare to find
0No data.
4 Accuracy:
5co-ordinates taken by GPS or official recorded co-ordinates
4co-ordinates scaled from a detailed map
3co-ordinates scaled from a bad map
2co-ordinates of the nearest village
1co-ordinates of the nearest town
0no data
5

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Anne T visited on 17th May 2019 - their rating: Cond: 4 Amb: 4 Access: 4 AS Corpus Wells 4, Wells Cathedral: We'd been seriously held up by traffic on the major and minor roads from Exeter to Wells, then by seriously slow roadworks, so were really rushed for time. I'd previously contacted the cathedral to find out if it was possible to see AS Corpus Wells 3, which the Corpus said was in the cathedral store, but the cathedral said they were unable (unwilling) to find it. Thinking the other fragments would be on display, we still went to the Cathedral. Throwing the car into a car park just inside the city centre, I managed to photograph the Market Cross/Bishop Beckington's Conduit before going to the Cathedral. I showed one of the guides the AS Corpus notes and asked if he knew where they might be on display and were told ‘try the undercroft’. Nothing of note in there – it was very bare with very little displayed. After wandering up and down the nave and chancel, I stopped another guide, showed her my notes, explained I’d previously emailed. She told me one of the stones was in the library, but a special tour had just started and it would be at least an hour before we could get in, and to look at the fragments built into the walls of the cloisters. She then said she’d find one of the vergers and ask him if he knew where the others were. Eventually, this very kind lady came to find us and took us to the verger’s office, where he looked at my papers. “Oh, yes”, he said, “I remember the email. Everything is now in storage in the triforium, either in boxes or cages, and can’t be accessed.” “That’s disappointing”, I replied, “why did no one tell me that in the email reply?” We were dismissed without a further word, with the verger turning back to another visitor to his office. We went to find a late lunch in the cathedral cafeteria, only to find it almost empty and only serving coffee and cakes. We left, rapidly, with only a few postcards as souvenirs, and feeling the cathedral had been stripped bare of its medieval treasures and soul. Not a very satisfactory visit, possibly spoiled by the huge rush we'd been in, the lack of finding the recorded stones on display and being badgered on several occasions to make donations.

Wells Cathedral
Wells Cathedral submitted by Anne T : The font in the south transept of Wells Cathedral, recorded as AS Corpus Wells 04, said to be from the original stone cathedral, dated to the 10th to 11th century and recorded as being in situ at this location since the 12th century. The font bowl is cylindrical and tubshaped, and is cut from a single block of Chalfield Oolit limestone. Over the centuries it has been partly recut and remodelled. (Vote or comment on this photo)
Early Christian Sculptured Stone in Somerset

A minster and secular college were founded in Wells in AD 704, and the Cathedral Bishopric was established here in AD909. The "old cathedral was entirely replaced by a new building between 1180-1240, consecrated in 1239 and further developed between 1290-1340". Extensive information about the cathedral, it's history and archaeology can be found at Pastscape Monument No. 196971 and Historic England List ID 1382901.

According to the Corpus of Anglo Saxon Stone Sculpture, there are five sculptured stones at the cathedral. These are:

AS Corpus Wells 1, part of a 10th century grave-cover;
AS Corpus Wells 2, an 8th to 9th century fragment, possibly from a cross;
AS Corpus Wells 3, a 9th/10th century fragment;
AS Corpus Wells 4, an 10th to 11th century font; and
AS Corpus Wells 5, a late Roman or Anglo Saxon inscribed fragment.

The only item on display to the public is AS Corpus 4, the font, to be found in the south transept. The verger told us on the day of our visit that the rest are now stored in boxes or cages on the triforium, not accessible by the public.

The font is but said to have been in situ since the 12th century, but over the years has been partly recut and remodelled. Traces of the figures originally between the arcading are just about visible.
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Nearby Images from Geograph Britain and Ireland:
ST5545 : Stone Monument by Nigel Mykura
by Nigel Mykura
©2011(licence)
ST5545 : Wells : Cathedral Church of St Andrew by Lewis Clarke
by Lewis Clarke
©2015(licence)
ST5545 : Wells Cathedral  (23) by Chris' Buet
by Chris' Buet
©2020(licence)
ST5545 : Wells Cathedral  (24) by Chris' Buet
by Chris' Buet
©2020(licence)
ST5545 : Wells Cathedral  (26) by Chris' Buet
by Chris' Buet
©2020(licence)

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Nearby sites listing. In the following links * = Image available
 58m NW 307° Wells and Mendip Museum* Museum (ST551459)
 91m ESE 116° St Andrew's Well (Wells)* Holy Well or Sacred Spring (ST5522745824)
 270m SSE 168° Glastonbury Tor milestone at Wells* Modern Stone Circle etc (ST552456)
 1.7km E 99° King's Castle (Wells) Ancient Village or Settlement (ST568456)
 2.7km NW 311° Wookey Hole Caves Museum* Museum (ST531477)
 2.8km NW 317° Badger Hole (Somerset) Cave or Rock Shelter (ST53244795)
 2.9km NW 317° Wookey Hole Caves* Cave or Rock Shelter (ST53194801)
 3.1km NNE 22° Pen Hill Longbarrow* Long Barrow (ST563487)
 3.6km SW 218° Harters Hill* Ancient Trackway (ST529430)
 4.0km N 10° Drove Cottage Henge* Henge (ST559498)
 4.3km N 10° Hunter's Lodge Inn Barrow* Round Barrow(s) (ST559501)
 4.4km NW 310° Deerleap Stones* Standing Stones (ST51804876)
 4.5km E 94° Crapnell Stone Circle (ST596455)
 5.0km N 352° Fair Lady Well* Holy Well or Sacred Spring (ST54515079)
 5.7km NE 55° Whitnell Corner Barrows* Barrow Cemetery (ST5982849096)
 5.8km NNW 347° Priddy Nine Barrows* Barrow Cemetery (ST53925149)
 6.0km ENE 77° Maesbury Castle* Hillfort (ST610472)
 6.1km NNW 335° Priddy Church Barrows* Barrow Cemetery (ST526514)
 6.2km NW 316° Westbury-Sub-Mendip Cave or Rock Shelter (ST50855036)
 6.3km NW 323° Priddy long barrow* Long Barrow (ST5141550915)
 6.3km NNW 348° Ashen Hill Barrows* Barrow Cemetery (ST53905205)
 6.7km N 354° Castle Farm Long Barrow* Long Barrow (ST54525255)
 6.8km N 349° Priddy Circles S* Henge (ST53945255)
 6.8km NNW 328° Townsend Farm Barrow Cemetery* Barrow Cemetery (ST5152851658)
 7.0km N 350° Priddy Circles C* Henge (ST54015279)
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