Wells Cathedral

Wells was begun around 1175 in the new pointed style and finished without ever reverting to Norman round arches, which is why it is usually called the first English cathedral built entirely as Gothic. Two things stop people in the nave. The west front carries some three hundred medieval figures, the finest display of medieval carving in England, once painted and now weathered pale. And under the crossing stand the scissor arches, inserted in the 1330s when the new central tower began to sink and crack; they are pure engineering, hooped one above another, and they look like nothing else in Europe. The astronomical clock of about 1325 keeps its original medieval face, and is the second oldest surviving clock in England.

What to look for

• The scissor arches - 1330s bracing under the crossing, invented for the problem.
• The west front - some three hundred medieval figures across the screen.
• The astronomical clock - jousting knights striking the quarters on a medieval face.
• Vicars' Close - a fourteenth-century street of clergy houses, still lived in.

When to go

Open year-round with free entry and a suggested donation. Evensong most days puts the choir back in the building it was designed for. Tower and roof tours run in season and book out, so check ahead. Mornings are quiet and mid-afternoon brings the coaches. The worn chapter house stairs photograph best in low side light.

Things to know

It is a working cathedral, so services close off sections without much warning and photography rules apply inside. The Bishop's Palace next door is a separate ticket, which surprises people. Wells has little parking and the streets around the green fill quickly. The tower climb is narrow and spiral, and not for anyone unsure on stairs.

Nearby

The Bishop's Palace and its moat, Wookey Hole and Cheddar Gorge along the Mendip edge.

Key facts