Photo copyright David Merrett Apart from the good fortune of being here in the lower Cheddar Gorge, we are also lucky to be near some outstanding locations. One of those is Wells, England's smallest city and, yes, it therefore has a remarkable and beautiful cathedral. It also has some exceptional old buildings and architecture around the town, a lovely market place, which twice a week holds great markets, and a good array of independent shops. There is also the Bishop's Palace, where the Bishop of Bath and Wells is based (Bath can only boast an Abbey). And all of this in a very compact and easily walkable centre, with the backdrop of the Mendip Hills in the distance.
As the name suggests the city is founded around three wells near the cathedral which provide copious water ultimately sourced from the limestone Mendip Hills. The excess is often allowed to flow down the especially wide gutters of the main street keeping them clean and clear - just watch where you step or you get a wet foot.
So it was not a surprise, but certainly something to be proud of, that this gem of a "city", just 11,000 in population, has just topped the Which? (independent consumer organisation) list of best smaller short-break towns and cities in Britain.
If you stay at Gorge View Cottage, then Well's is just a 9-mile, 20-minute run in a car along the main road at the foot of the Mendip range. A more interesting route is to go up the gorge and over the top of the Mendips via the lovely village of Priddy, down past Ebbor Gorge (a lovely traffic-free walk), via Wookey Hole (more caves) to Wells. Better still there is the First Bus 126 service, and for those feeling like a great walk, you can bus to Well's, explore it a little and then walk back along the very well marked West Mendip Way (about 12 miles).
As the name suggests the city is founded around three wells near the cathedral which provide copious water ultimately sourced from the limestone Mendip Hills. The excess is often allowed to flow down the especially wide gutters of the main street keeping them clean and clear - just watch where you step or you get a wet foot.
So it was not a surprise, but certainly something to be proud of, that this gem of a "city", just 11,000 in population, has just topped the Which? (independent consumer organisation) list of best smaller short-break towns and cities in Britain.
If you stay at Gorge View Cottage, then Well's is just a 9-mile, 20-minute run in a car along the main road at the foot of the Mendip range. A more interesting route is to go up the gorge and over the top of the Mendips via the lovely village of Priddy, down past Ebbor Gorge (a lovely traffic-free walk), via Wookey Hole (more caves) to Wells. Better still there is the First Bus 126 service, and for those feeling like a great walk, you can bus to Well's, explore it a little and then walk back along the very well marked West Mendip Way (about 12 miles).
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