to Exeter. WELLS. 16. Route. 129
about 1360. The upper part of the Central Tower, 165 ft. high, also
belongs to the early part of the 14th century. The Vicars' Close was
added in the 14th cent, and partly altered in the 15th. The upper
part of the W. Towers and Cloisters are Perpendicular. — Though
comparatively small in size (383 ft. long; 82ft. wide across the
nave and aisles; 67-73ft. high), Wells Cathedral takes rank among
the finest churches in England, and some authorities do not hesitate
to give it the first place of all. The best general Tie w of it is
obtained from the Shepton Mallet road, about */4 M. from the city.
Mr. Freeman asserts that the group of ecclesiastical buildings at Wells
has no rival either in its own island or beyond the sea. 'To most of
these objects, taken singly, it would be easy to find rivals which would
equal or surpass them. The church itself cannot from mere lack of bulk
hold its ground against the soaring apse of Amiens, or against the windows
ranging, tier above tier, in the mighty eastern gable of Ely. The cloister
cannot measure itself with Gloucester or Salisbury; the chapter-house
lacks the soaring roofs of York and Lincoln; the palace itself finds its
rival in the ruined pile of St. David's. The peculiar charm and glory
of Wells lies in the union and harmonious grouping of all'. It has pre¬
served its ancient buildings and arrangements more perfectly than any
other English cathedral; and it has been uninterruptedly in the possession
of a chapter of secular canons. Comp. the Introduction, p. xlv.
We enter the Cathedral Close by Browne's Gate (the 'Dean's
Eye'), in Sadler St., or by the Penniless Porch ('Palace Eye'), in
the market-place, built by Bishop Beckington (1443-64). The
chief exterior glory of the cathedral is the beautiful West Facade,
147 ft. wide, and most elaborately adorned with arcading and sculp¬
tures (600 figures in all). It has lately been restored with great
care and tact. The sculptures, which are believed to be the work
of native artists, were added about 1280, almost at the same time
that Niccol6 Pisano was reviving the art of sculpture in Italy.
Beautiful as this facade is, it shares with the W. fronts of Lincoln
and Rouen the reproach of being architecturally a mere mask, since
the towers are really placed outside of the aisles of which they
affect to form the ends. The charming *North Porch, completed
before 1189, is the oldest part of the present church; it is in the
E.E. style, though retaining traces of Norman influence. Before
entering the cathedral we should also notice the exterior of the
Chapter House and the curious gallery running along the Chain
Gate and connecting the church with the Vicars' Close.
Interior (services at 10 a.m. and 3.30 p.m.; adm. to choir 6d.). A good
view of the interior is obtained from the W. end, and the general effect
is noble and imposing. The Nave , which is 192 ft. long, is somewhat
narrow in proportion to its height, and it has the distinct character
(according to Mr. Freeman) of having its main lines horizontal rather
than vertical. Among the first features to strike the eye are the curious
inverted arches inserted in 1338 to prop up the central tower, and forming
the general outline of a St. Andrew's Cross. The foliage of the capitals
is very elaborate, and is interspersed with birds and animals. The tri¬
forium is carried backwards over the aisles. At the E. end of the nave
are two interesting Chantries of the 15th cent. (Bishop Bubwith, d. 1424;
Hugh Sugar, d. 1489), and on the S. side, in the centre, is a Minstrels'
Gallery, also of the Perp. period. The stained glass in the W. window
Baedeker's Great Britain. 6th Edit. 9
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