Wells Cathedral: Crowning Glory

Wells Cathedral is officially St Andrews Cathedral in Wells, England. It is the crowning glory of the Wells town, located in Somerset. The cathedral dates back to the 13th century. Wells cathedral has intricate artwork. The architecture of the cathedral is unique and spectacular.

The cathedral is famous for its western front, which is adorned with wonderful sculptures of kings and saints. The interior of the Cathedral has an abundance of ‘scissor’ arches. You may either like them or dislike them. They are unique to the cathedral and cannot be seen elsewhere.

Construction work on the Wells Cathedral began in the year 1180, under the supervision of Bishop Reginald. However, the majority of the work was carried out under the guidance and watchful eye of Bishop Jocelyn, who was a local of the area with mighty ambitions for the town.

The nave of the cathedral was built under his guidance. The monument’s western front was completed in the 13th century. Bishop Jocelyn was quite a busy man. He also was assigned the task of overseeing the construction activity of Bishop’s Palace and building of a residence in Wookey.

Wells cathedral was the first cathedral in England to use the early-English Gothic architecture. The structure has an abundance of pointed arches. The cathedrals at Lincoln and Salisbury would follow after 10 and 30 years, respectively. Glastonbury Abbey, which lies in close proximity to the cathedral, was built following the Norman style of architecture.

Bishop Jocelyn was alive when the church was created in the year 1239. However, he died before the structure gained cathedral status. The year 1306 saw completion of the Chapter House.

When the cathedral was completely built, it seemed very small for the opulence and majesty of the liturgy. More room had to be found to accommodate mammoth ritual processions.

Therefore, the 14th century witnesses a surge in construction activity. Bishop Drokensford began proceedings by erecting the central tower. Construction began on the Lady Chapel, which had eight sides. Thomas of Whitney was the brain behind its construction.

The tall tower added significant weight to the cathedral’s center. Ingenuity solved the problem. There was an addition of three, scissor arches in 1338 in order to support the weight. An astronomical clock was another interior masterpiece, included in the year 1390. The west front of the cathedral stands at an impressive height of 100 feet.