Sights in Somerset
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Wells Cathedral
Set in a marvellous medieval close, the Cathedral Church of St Andrew was built in stages between 1180 and 1508. The building incorporates several Gothic styles, but its most famous asset is the wonderful west front, an immense sculpture gallery decorated with more than 300 figures, built in the 13th century and restored to its original splendour in 1986. The facade would once have been painted in vivid colours, but has long since reverted to its original sandy hue. Apart from the figure of Christ, installed in 1985 in the uppermost niche, all the figures are original.
Inside, the most striking feature is the pair of scissor arches that separate the nave from the choir, de…
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Glastonbury Tor
The iconic hump of Glastonbury Tor looms up from flat fields to the northwest of town. This 160m-high grassy mound provides glorious views over the surrounding countryside, and a focal point for a bewildering array of myths. According to some it's the home of a faery king, while an old Celtic legend identifies it as the stronghold of Gwyn ap Nudd (ruler of Annwyn, the Underworld) – but the most famous legend identifies the tor as the mythic Isle of Avalon, where King Arthur was taken after being mortally wounded in battle by his nephew Mordred, and where Britain's 'once and future king' sleeps until his country calls again.
Whatever the truth of the legends, the tor has …
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Glastonbury Abbey
Legend has it that Joseph of Arimathea, great-uncle of Jesus, owned mines in this area and returned here with the Holy Grail (the chalice from the Last Supper) after the death of Christ. Joseph supposedly founded England's first church on the site, now occupied by the ruined abbey, but the earliest proven Christian connection dates from the 7th century, when King Ine gave a charter to a monastery in Glastonbury. In 1184 the church was destroyed by fire and reconstruction began in the reign of Henry II.
In 1191, monks claimed to have had visions confirming hints in old manuscripts that the 6th-century warrior-king Arthur and his wife Guinevere were buried in the abbey groun…
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Chalice Well & Gardens
People have been dunking, drinking and paddling at the Chalice Well & Gardens, a natural spring just below Glastonbury Tor, for at least 2000 years. The rust-red waters from this ancient well are rumoured to have healing properties, good for everything from eczema to smelly feet. Their distinctive crimson colour supposedly stems from the burial of the Holy Grail nearby, although it's actually a result of iron deposits in the soil.
The well is surrounded by lovely gardens dotted with babbling pools and gnarled yew trees, and you can fill up your flasks with the sacred water from a lion's-head spout.
The Chalice Well is also known as the 'Red Spring' or 'Blood Spring'; its s…
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Bishop's Palace
Beyond the cathedral, the moated 13th- century Bishop's Palace is a real delight. Purportedly the oldest inhabited building in England, ringed by water and surrounded by a huge fortified wall, the palace complex contains several fine Italian Gothic state rooms, an imposing Great Hall and beautiful tree-shaded gardens. The natural wells that gave the city its name bubble up in the palace's grounds, feeding the moat and the fountain in the market square. The swans in the moat have been trained to ring a bell outside one of the windows when they want to be fed.
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Lake Village Museum
Upstairs from Glastonbury's tourist office, in the medieval courthouse, the Lake Village Museum displays finds from a prehistoric bog village discovered in nearby Godney. The houses in the village were clustered in about six groups and were built from reeds, hazel and willow. It's thought they were occupied by summer traders who lived the rest of the year at Glastonbury Tor.
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Wells Museum
Surrounding Wells Cathedral is a cluster of ecclesiastical buildings that form the medieval Cathedral Close. The Vicars' Close is a cobbled alley of 14th-century houses, thought to be the oldest medieval street in Europe; nearby is the 15th-century Old Deanery and the Wells Museum, with exhibits on local life, cathedral architecture and the archaeological finds of Wookey Hole.
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Shoe Museum
A couple of miles south of Glastonbury is Street, once the site of Britain's largest shoe factory, Clark's. The footwear factory's long since hiked overseas, but the town's shoe connections continue at the huge Clark's factory-outlet shop and a rather odd Shoe Museum, which explores the history of shoemaking from Roman sandals to high-heeled stilettos.
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Vicars' Close
Surrounding Wells Cathedral is a cluster of ecclesiastical buildings that form the medieval Cathedral Close. The Vicars' Close is a cobbled alley of 14th-century houses, thought to be the oldest medieval street in Europe.
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Rural Life Museum
Somerset's agricultural heritage is explored at the Rural Life Museum, which contains a varied collection of artefacts relating to traditional trades such as willow growing, peat digging, cider making and cheese making. There are often live displays of local skills, so if you fancy trying your hand at beekeeping, lace making and spinning, this is the place to do it. The late 14th-century tithe barn has fine carvings on the gables and porch, and an impressive timber roof; it now houses a collection of vintage agricultural machinery.
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Wells & Mendip Museum
Surrounding Wells Cathedral is a cluster of ecclesiastical buildings that form the medieval Cathedral Close. The Vicars' Close is a cobbled alley of 14th-century houses, thought to be the oldest medieval street in Europe; nearby is the 15th-century Old Deanery and the Wells Museum, with exhibits on local life, cathedral architecture and the archaeological finds of Wookey Hole.
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Forde Abbey
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Wookey Hole
On the southern edge of the Mendips, the River Axe has carved out a series of deep limestone caverns collectively known as Wookey Hole. The caves are littered with dramatic natural features, including a subterranean lake and some fascinating stalagmites and stalactites: one of which is supposedly the legendary Witch of Wookey Hole, who was turned to stone by a local priest.
The caves were inhabited by prehistoric people for some 50,000 years, but these days the deep pools and underground rivers are more often frequented by cave divers – the deepest subterranean dive ever recorded in Britain was made here in September 2004, when divers reached a depth of more than 45m.
A…
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Cheddar Gorge
If Wookey Hole is a little too touristy for your tastes, then you'd better brace yourself for Cheddar Gorge, a spectacular series of limestone caverns that's always jam-packed with coach-parties and day-trippers.
Despite the tourist throng, the natural wonders on display are genuinely impressive. The gorge itself is England's deepest, in places towering 138m above the twisting, turning road, and a network of caves extends deep into the surrounding rock on every side. Only a few are open to the public, including Cox's Cave and Gough's Cave, both decorated by an amazing gallery of stalactites and stalagmites, and subtly lit to bring out the spectrum of colours in the limesto…
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Chalice Well & Gardens
Shaded by knotted yew trees and surrounded by peaceful paths, the Chalice Well and Gardens have been sites of pilgrimage since the days of the Celts. The iron-red waters from the 800-year-old well are rumoured to have healing properties, good for everything from eczema to smelly feet; some legends also identify the well as the hiding place of the Holy Grail. In fact, the reddish waters are caused by iron deposits in the soil. You can drink the water from a lion's-head spout, or rest your feet in basins surrounded by flowers.
The Chalice Well is also known as the 'Red Spring' or 'Blood Spring'; its sister, White Spring, surfaces across Wellhouse Lane.
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Cathedral Close
Wells Cathedral forms the centrepiece of a cluster of ecclesiastical buildings dating back to (and even earlier than) the Middle Ages. Facing the west front, on the left are the 15th-century Old Deanery and the Wells & Mendip Museum, with exhibits on local life, cathedral architecture and the infamous Witch of Wookey Hole.
Further along, Vicars' Close is a stunning cobbled street of uniform houses dating back to the 14th century, with a chapel at the end; members of the cathedral choir still live here. It is thought to be the oldest complete medieval street in Europe.
Penniless Porch, a corner gate leading onto Market Sq and built by Bishop Bekynton around 1450, is so-calle…
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