Wells Highlights and Heritage: An Audio Tour

Marvel at one of England's oldest inhabited houses, its medieval walls rising above a glittering moat right in the heart of the city. Watch for the swans who live here year-round, trained to ring a bell on the gatehouse wall when they want to be fed.

Stand before one of England's finest Gothic facades, its West Front crowded with hundreds of medieval carved figures that once blazed with colour. Look up at the 1392 clock inside and watch the jousting knights ride out to strike the hour every quarter past.

Stroll down what is believed to be the oldest complete medieval street in Europe, built in the 14th century to house the cathedral's choirmen and keep them well away from worldly temptations. Walk its full length and feel how little has changed in 700 years.

Explore this compact local museum tucked beside the cathedral, where the story of Wells and the surrounding Mendip Hills comes to life through fascinating artefacts and displays. Discover how the region's history stretches from prehistoric cave dwellers to famous modern residents.

Pass one of Wells' charming medieval almshouses, a row of modest dwellings built to shelter the city's poor that has stood quietly on its street for centuries. These modest buildings are a reminder that Wells has always cared for its community, long before the age of the welfare state.

Step inside the largest parish church in Somerset and look up at a magnificent painted wooden ceiling so grand that visitors regularly mistake the building for the cathedral itself. Enjoy the peaceful interior and take a moment to admire the craftsmanship that has left generations of visitors speechless.

Visit one of Wells' most characterful pubs, housed in a building with a distinctly unusual past — its ladies' toilet was once a jail cell. Raise a glass in a place where history lingers in every corner, from its thick stone walls to the stories locked inside them.