The Well House About 35 Metres North Of The Bishop'S Palace

The Well House, located about 35 metres north of the Bishop's Palace in Wells, was built in 1451 for Bishop Bekynton. It is constructed from Doulting ashlar stone and features a pyramidal Welsh slate roof with large stone crowning elements, which may have served as a former chimney outlet. The building is square in shape and consists of a single storey with a single bay.

The exterior includes a plinth, angled corner buttresses, and an eaves moulding. There are small 2-light transomed windows on the east, south, and west faces, each with 2-centre arched lights that are cinquefoil cusped, along with incised spandrels and deep square labels with plain stops. The north face has a moulded 4-centre arched doorway with a label and a plain boarded door.

Inside, the well house has a plain plastered shallow domical vault ceiling and a stone flag floor with a large square hole in the centre, which covers the well. There is also a small plain fireplace in the north-west corner. Originally, the well house was provided by Bekynton as a water conduit for the citizens in the Market Place, before being relocated to its current position north of the Palace. The supply of water from the wells to the town has been an important privilege since the early Middle Ages.