June 2026
Wells Cathedral & St Cuthbert's Church
Wells is England's smallest city; and the wells or springs which can still be seen in the grounds of the Bishops' Palace are the reason for the original settlement of this area. We visited two sites of religious significance in Wells on 5 June 2026.
Wells Cathedral has been called one of the most beautiful and poetic of English cathedrals, begun about 1175 and was the first English cathedral to be built entirely in the new Gothic style. The defining architectural features of the cathedral are:
(i) its scissor arches, constructed in the 14th century as an engineering solution to prevent the tower from collapsing
(ii) the steps up to the Chapter House, captured by Frederick H Evans in 1903 in his iconic photograph "The Sea of Steps".
St Cuthbert's Parish Church is such an impressive building that visitors often mistake it for the cathedral. St Cuthbert's dates from the 13th century and its 15th century tower is the third highest in Somerset. Its defining feature is the superbly carved and beautifully painted "angel roof".
Our T-W-T photographers:
Rose Atkinson ARPS (walk leader)
Anita Fullerton
David Haynes
Denise Bailey LRPS
Jan Gibson
Nigel Burr
Philip Keenan
Simon Whitbread
Victoria Taylor
We all came with different intentions and different approaches. We were inspired by each other on the day, and we each captured our own interpretations.
David Haynes
David Haynes Anita Fullerton
Simon Whitbread
Victoria Taylor Nigel Burr
Denise Bailey LRPS
Simon Whitbread
Denise Bailey LRPS
Denise Bailey LRPS
Philip Keenan
Rose Atkinson ARPS
Nigel Burr
Rose Atkinson ARPS
Philip Keenan
Janet Gibson
Victoria Taylor
Janet Gibson
Simon Whitbread
Anita Fullerton
Janet Gibson
Philip Keenan
Nigel Burr
David Haynes
Rose Atkinson ARPS
Anita Fullerton
Victoria Taylor
Zine compliled by Simon Whitbread (c) July 2026
Cuthbert's Church