he building of the present Wells Cathedral began in 1179/80. The work was orchestrated by Reginald de Bohun, Bishop of Bath between 1174-91. de Bohan's predecessor, Bishop Robert of Lewes (1136-66), found the church at Wells in a decayed state after the Bishop's see was moved from Wells in 1088 to Bath following the death of Bishop Giso. Bishop Robert wanted to give the Dean and Canons under him a new church and Bishop Reginald provided this. The church was dedicated in 1239 even though work on it continued until 1260. In 1244/5, after a campaign to reinstate Wells as a Cathedral, the Pope decreed that the Bishop should become the Bishop of Bath and Wells. The Chapter House was begun in 1250. A Chapter House is the place of business of the Dean and Canons who are collectively known as the Chapter. The Chapter House at Wells is octagonal in shape and was finished in 1306. The most amazing sight at Wells are the scissor arches under the central tower. They were designed in 1338 by the master mason William Joy to help take the weight of the tower that was starting to crack due to extra building work in 1313.Cathedral
Cathedral
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Wells Cathedral
| County | Categories | ||
| Remains | Excellent remains | Access | Only open at certain times |
| Location | 51.21053,-2.643442 (Google Maps) | Directions | Directions via Google Maps |
| County |
| Categories |
| Remains |
Excellent remains |
| Access |
Only open at certain times |
| Location |
| 51.21053,-2.643442 |
| Directions |
| Directions via Google Maps |
he building of the present Wells Cathedral began in 1179/80. The work was orchestrated by Reginald de Bohun, Bishop of Bath between 1174-91. de Bohan's predecessor, Bishop Robert of Lewes (1136-66), found the church at Wells in a decayed state after the Bishop's see was moved from Wells in 1088 to Bath following the death of Bishop Giso. Bishop Robert wanted to give the Dean and Canons under him a new church and Bishop Reginald provided this. The church was dedicated in 1239 even though work on it continued until 1260. In 1244/5, after a campaign to reinstate Wells as a Cathedral, the Pope decreed that the Bishop should become the Bishop of Bath and Wells. The Chapter House was begun in 1250. A Chapter House is the place of business of the Dean and Canons who are collectively known as the Chapter. The Chapter House at Wells is octagonal in shape and was finished in 1306. The most amazing sight at Wells are the scissor arches under the central tower. They were designed in 1338 by the master mason William Joy to help take the weight of the tower that was starting to crack due to extra building work in 1313.Location
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Timeline
909
...
Athelm becomes Bishop of Wells
Athelm, later to be Archbishop of Canterbury was consecrated to the see of Wells, by Plegmund, Archbishop of Canterbury and Wereferth, Bishop of Worcester. Athelm started as a monk at Glastonbury Abbey and was the first Bishop of Wells. ¹
914
...
Wulfhelm becomes Bishop of Wells
When Athelm transferred from Wells to Canterbury, Wulfhelm was consecrated as the Bishop of Wells. ¹
1180
...
Wells Cathedral building begins
Work on Wells Cathedral began in this year. (More Information to follow)
1239
...
Wells Cathedral dedication of church
The church at Wells was dedicated in this year, but did not get its status as a Cathedral until 1244.
1244
...
Bishop of Bath and Wells
The Pope decreed that Wells should be reinstated as a Cathedral and the Bishop became the Bishop of Bath and Wells.
1293
(to 1310)
Wells Cathedral chapter House begun
The Chapter-house and the complicated arrangement of steps leading to them were started in this year and were not completed until around 1310.
1310
(to 1319)
Wells Cathedral Lady Chapel
Work commenced on the Lady Chapel of Wells Cathedral. This may have taken place been between 1320 and 1330. ¹
1315
(to 1322)
Wells Cathedral Central Tower
Work commenced on the central tower of Wells Cathedral. This needed strengthening and in 1338, new internal arches were added to support the weight. ¹
1329
(to 1340)
Construction work at Wells
Reconstruction work, possibly on the choir, took place at Wells Cathedral. ¹
1338
...
Wells Cathedral scissor arches
The Scissor arches were added to prevent the collapse of the central tower.
1365
(to 1395)
Wells Cathedral South-west Tower
William Wynford was the architect behind the South-west tower of Wells Cathedral. ¹
1425
(to 1435)
Wells Cathedral North-west Tower
The North-west tower of Wells Cathedral was constructed during this time. ¹
3D Virtual Reconstructions
Transport yourself back up to a thousand years and explore historical buildings as they may have appeared in the past. Built using the popular game development tool Unity 3D, these reconstructions will run in the most of the popular web browsers on your desktop or laptop computer.
