what do you think of wells?

Nice small place. Easy to reach, excellent cathedral and a special clock, very relaxing.

I liked it, too. Was only there on a day-trip, however

Wells is a lovely cathedral, original building begun in the 700’s. The building today dates from the 1100’s and is Gothic in style. Interesting architecture inside and out. It’s on the banks of a river and the local swans still ring a bell for food. Check out the website for the Cathedral and the swancam! Wells is in Somerset, a nice rural part of the UK . It’s well located for visiting other Cathedrals such as Salisbury, Winchester, and Chichester as well as sites such as Stonehenge, Avebury, Old Sarum, and further into the West Country. I think it would make a great base for a weeks stay before moving on and I think it could be quieter and less crowded than some of the better known cathedral cities.

We did a day trip to Wells and Glastonberry last October from Bath. On returning to Bath, we went through a very scenic gorge. It was a great day.

I've actually wound up in Well on day trips on 3 different tours (1 Rick Steves and 2 Road Scholar). I love the scissor arches in the cathedral - so very interesting along with the clock and the medieval street area.

Last time I opted out of another tour of the Cathedral and took myself off to the Bishop's Palace which I really enjoyed. (And would have enjoyed more if one whole area had not been closed for a private function!). The gardens were lovely and interesting.

I DO defer to Nigel in all transport related questions but to me, I'm not sure how easy transport is to Wells. There is no rail station but is accessible by coach from Bath. If you are trying to get over jet lag and land at LHR that would mean a coach (or train) to Bath, then further coach to Wells. I've only done it on tour so there might be transportation methods of which I am unaware.

Perhaps I would have better said, with a car it is easy to reach....

We did the same as geovagriffith, saw Wells, Glastonbury, and returned to Bath via Chedder Gorge. We enjoyed walking around Wells and visiting the cathedral.

Thank you Nigel! I wondered if I had missed something related to public transport! It may be that OP plans to rent a car anyway.

The Tour de France winner is from there!

I bussed to Wells from Bristol. The departure point was very near Temple Meads Station.

Wells is our favorite cathedral and the city (it's a city because it has a cathedral) is charming and small enough to easily explore. If you go there, be sure to explore the "close" which is off to one side of the cathedral. It is a preserved row of about twenty homes. In Wells, it is fun to stay at The Crown, which was one of the settings for the movie Hot Fuzz, which is a very funny spoof of a murder mystery. Wells is very close to Glastonbury where you can explore the abbey and the Tor and to the scenic Cheddar Gorge area.

Mike, pretty sure Tour de France winner is from Wales not Wells!!!!

Geraint Thomas the cyclist who won the Tour de France is from Cardiff in Wales, which is 2 hours from Wells in Somerset - 2 hours by either car or train. One place is very English, one place is very Welsh.

Wells Cathedral was my favorite place we went on our Rick Steves Best of England tour this past spring. Others have given excellent descriptions of the cathedral, so I won't repeat that info. The town of Wells was interesting but we did not get to spend a lot of time there, as the tour bus was moving on. I think it would be an excellent place to chill out and get over jet lag. Lots of medieval buildings, small hotels, B&B's and pubs. No crowds. Very quiet.

Here's a useful website for Wells accommodations, food and drink:
http://www.wellssomerset.com/
Their travel information page is here:
http://www.wellssomerset.com/travel-information.php?sid=91567377df25477588319927349b4c8a

Thanks everyone. Been doing alot of reading on Wells. I see Salisbury is southeast a bit so another idea to look into. I will be doing public transport. One website says that National express buses do leave from Heathrow to Wells. Im going to have to check the local bus companies to see what local places i can get to. I found so many interesting places, Saint Cuthperts parish church, a steam rail way even a place that makes cheddar cheese. Looks like I might have to spend more time in the area. Glenn

Yes, Wells is the only city in England without a railway station. (The others elsewhere in the UK are Armagh in Northern Ireland, and St Asaphs and St Davids in Wales.)

I've stayed in Salisbury several times and really enjoy it. It is easy to get to on the train or I see there are also National Express coaches from Heathrow. My favorite lodging is Cathedral View B&B where I love the hospitality provided by Steve and Wenda.

IF you decide on Wells, the National Express coaches are pretty easy and very nice. I've only taken them from Heathrow to the Coach station in London (near my hotel). They are in NO way similar to Greyhound in the US. I mean...reallly no comparison except they have wheels and a driver.

Another thumbs up for Salisbury here. Just as peaceful as Wells. Salisbury has a magnificent cathedral, medieval buildings, good cafes and small hotels.
Easily reached from London. Just take the train from Waterloo station.
Salisbury would be a good place to relax & get over jet lag.

Well (no pun intended) doggone.