A day in Wells, and Wookey Hole

It's been a beautiful day again, but too hot for me. I've been trying to keep in the shade as much as I can, but my arms are a bit sunburnt. This morning I set off walking towards Street, the hostel is right on the edge, it's a 20 minute walk to the town. I had only been walking a few minutes when I came to a bus stop, an elderly lady was waiting so I asked when the bus was due and where it was going. When she said, there's one soon and it goes to Wells, I thought that's lucky, just where I want to go. Glad I brought my bus pass. 

I got off at the bus station in Wells and it was two minutes to the town centre. Here is the Crown in the High Street. 

This is a well at the bottom end of the High Street.

Fine displays of flowers, the shop keepers are making an effort to pretty it up.

In the corner of the Market Place is the National Trust shop, and through the arch to the left is the entrance to the Cathedral.

More flowers in planters and hanging baskets.

This cosy little courtyard at the entrance to the pub looks inviting. 

What fascinated me was the constant running water running down the gully's. You have to watch where you are walking because you could easily trip and fall into one. In this street there is one on each side of the road. Not very easy to navigate if you are pushing a buggy or a wheel chair. You have to look for the steel ramps crossing them if you want to get to the other side. 

When I walked through the archway and found myself at the front of the cathedral I thought, WOW, chuffin  WOW. What an amazing sight. Unfortunately the sun was on the wrong side to get a good photo, so I went back later on in the day.....

and took some better photo's. The West front has one of the largest galleries of medieval sculptures in the world. In the lower niches are biblical scenes, then it rises through kings, bishops, and angels, to the Apostles,  and Christ over all. 

The back is equally as stunning. It is free to enter, and you can walk all the way around it. 

This is the astronomical clock with jousting knights, installed in 1390. It's one of the oldest medieval clocks in the world. 

To take photographs inside the Cathedral you have to buy a permit for £3. I didn't bother, because it's always difficult to get good photo's anyway. I did sneak this one though, when no one was looking. I walked up the steps to the Chapter House and found I was the only one there. Isn't it a beautiful ceiling.  

Next to the Cathedral is the Bishops Palace. I took a walk over there, passing a game of croquet on the lawn, to check out the prices. I decided to give it a miss, not that bothered. I have a plan to spend a bit of money later.  

I continued my walk around the Cathedral, and found the music department in this building. 

Just off to the side was this lovely cobbled street, and each house had a tall chimney at the front. I thought, how unusual. 

At the end it was a dead end, just a narrow passageway to the right. There were two cars in the street but it looks like vehicles are not normally allowed.  

Some of the houses had an stone archway at the entrance over the gate. 

My next plan is to walk to Wookey Hole, so I set off across the fields. 

Some nice views from up here, I could see Glastonbury Tor.

After about an hour I arrived at Wookey Hole. I like this jolly pub sign. 

I paid my money to join the tour into the caves. £10.20p and a discount voucher, for a senior. As I walked towards the entrance I passed these monsters.

I took lots of photo's while I was down there, but they were not very good. Using a flash was not allowed, but it wouldn't have made it any better. The caves are enormous, a flash would have been lost in such a big space. I was a bit disappointed that we didn't see the witch, apparently she is very good at cackling. 

This is the underground storage area for the cheese. This spends a long time down here, and the value of one lump is between £30 and £40.

Back out in the open again, and King Kong doesn't look too happy. The kids love him though. 

The rest of it is a bit like a theme park, plenty to do for the family. It used to be a paper mill, and all the buildings have been converted to house exhibitions and a museum. They do still make paper here. There is a collection of early circus wagons. 

This one is used as a dressing room for the artists to get changed into their costumes.

And then I came to the mirror maze. Oh my, I stepped inside and tried to find my way around the corridors, it was almost impossible to find your way. I gave up and came back out the same way, coward that I am. I didn't want to be stuck in there forever. 

Now how do you prefer me, like Olive Oil tall and skinny.....

or short and dumpy with short fat hairy legs. Ha ha. 

It was time to go back, so I caught the bus as it was far too hot to walk. It was a short ride back to Wells, then another bus all the way back to Street. Last night there wasn't many in the hostel, in fact I was here alone for most of the night, as everyone had gone to bed. Even the Warden had disappeared, and I was left to lock up. Tonight there are a few more, a group of cyclists turned up, they are on a Lands End to John o Groats bike ride, they have a back up vehicle with them and they went down the town for something to eat earlier. They are back now. Tomorrow I leave here and move on to Bath Youth Hostel. There's one thing I must do before I go, and that's to go up the Tor. I shall drive to Kath's in the morning and we will do it together. Tatty byes and Toodle pip