4 Best Sights in Wells, The West Country

The Bishop's Eye gate leading from Market Place takes you to the magnificent, moat-ringed Bishop's Palace, which retains parts of the original 13th-century residence. The peaceful grounds command the most attention, including the gatehouse, the ramparts, and the impressive remains of a late-13th-century great hall that fell into ruin after the lead in its roof was sold in the 16th century. On the right of the gatehouse, note the bell hanging over the moat: swans have learned to ring it at feeding time (usually around 1 pm).

Most palace rooms are closed to the public, but you can see the impressively vaulted undercroft, the private chapel, and, atop the Jacobean staircase, the Long Gallery, hung with portraits of bishops past and present. Check the website (or call) for details on free tours of the palace and gardens (up to four daily, at 11 am, noon, 2 pm, and 3 pm) and the program of events and outdoor productions held throughout the year.

To the north of the cathedral, the cobbled Vicar's Close, one of Europe's oldest streets, has terraces of handsome 14th-century houses with strange, tall chimneys. A tiny medieval chapel here is still in use.

The great west towers of the Cathedral Church of St. Andrew, the oldest surviving English Gothic church, can be seen for miles. Dating from the 12th century, Wells Cathedral (as it's more commonly known) derives its beauty from the perfect harmony of all of its parts, the glowing colors of its original stained-glass windows, and its peaceful setting among stately trees and majestic lawns. To appreciate the elaborate west-front facade, approach the building from the cathedral green, accessible from Market Place through a great medieval gate called "penniless porch" (named after the beggars who once waited here to collect alms from worshippers). The cathedral's west front is twice as wide as it is high, and some 300 statues of kings and saints adorn it.

Inside, vast inverted arches—known as scissor arches—were added in 1338 to stop the central tower from sinking to one side. In the left transept, look out for the cathedral's rare and beautiful medieval clock, the second-oldest working clock in the world, consisting of the seated figure of a man called Jack Blandifer, who strikes a bell on the quarter hour while mounted knights circle in a joust. Near the clock is the entrance to the Chapter House—a small wooden door opening onto a great sweep of stairs worn down on one side by the tread of pilgrims over the centuries.

Free guided tours setting off on the hour from 11 am until 3 pm (not Sunday) and lasting approximately one hour begin at the back of the cathedral. The website also has details of less frequent special interest tours exploring the cathedral's stained glass, stone carvings, and embroidery, as well as tours taking in the galleries and roof spaces, the exterior and Vicar's Close, and the chained library, all of which need advance booking and cost extra. The Loft Café serves snacks and teas.

These limestone caves in the Mendip Hills, 2 miles northwest of Wells, may have been the home of Iron Age people. Here, according to ancient legend, the Witch of Wookey turned to stone. You can tour the caves; dip your fingers in an underground river (artful lighting keeps things lively); and visit a museum, a penny arcade full of Victorian amusement machines, a mirror maze, fairy gardens, and a working paper mill that once supplied banknotes for the Confederate States of America.