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

WELLS

ST5445 BISHOP'S PALACE 662-1/7/8 The Well House, about 35 metres 12/11/53 north of the Bishop's Palace (Formerly Listed as: BISHOP'S PALACE (including....Well-house in grounds))

GV I

Well house. 1451, for Bishop Bekynton. Doulting ashlar stone, pyramidal Welsh slate roof with large stone crowning features (possibly former outlet for chimney). Square on plan. EXTERIOR: single-storey, single bay. Plinth, angled corner buttresses, eaves moulding. One small 2-light transomd window to east, south and west faces, having 2-centre arched lights cinquefoil cusped, with incised spandrels, deep square labels with plain stops. North face has a moulded 4-centre arched doorway with label, plain boarded door. INTERIOR: a plain plastered shallow domical vault ceiling, stone flag floor with large square hole in centre, over well. Small plain fireplace in north-west corner. The well-house provided originally by Bekynton as a conduit for the citizens, in the Market Place, later moved to its present location N of the Palace. The supply of water from the wells to the town has been an important privilege since the early middle ages. (Colchester LS: Wells Cathedral: a History: Shepton Mallet: 1982-: 238).

Listing NGR: ST5522745824