m. S. from Bristol, 20 m. E. from Bridgewater, 32 m. N.E. from Taunton.
Geographically the situation of Wells is fairly central, but it is
neither easy of approach by road nor particularly accessible by rail.
To reach the city from the N.E. the pedestrian or cyclist has to
clamber over the Mendips; and though two railways (S. & D. and G.W.R.)
have stations here, the connection is indirect and the service
leisurely. Wells has been enthusiastically described as "one of the
most beautiful things on earth," and though a cold-blooded visitor may
be disposed to cavil at the extravagance of the praise, yet it will be
universally admitted that this "city of waters," picturesquely planted
at the foot of the hills, with its antiquities mellowed but unimpaired
by age, is possessed of peculiar charm. There are other cities with
cathedrals, but the ecclesiastical atmosphere of Wells is almost
unique. It is a cathedral city pure and simple. It has come down to us
from the Middle Ages practically unchanged. Here may be seen the
machinery of a great mediaeval ecclesiastical foundation in actual
working order. Wells probably owes its immunity from change to the
secular character of its church, in consequence of which it escaped the
upheaval that overthrew religious houses like its neighbour
Glastonbury. Apart from its cathedral life, Wells has had few
interests. It is an unenterprising little town. Bishop Goodwin once
described it as a place of "little antiquity." It has less history. Its
civil annals are short and simple. It gave a loyal welcome to Henry
VII. on his return from stamping out Perkin Warbeck's fatuous
rebellion; and Monmouth's troops, as an interlude in their inglorious
campaign, found uproarious diversion by stabling their horses in the
canons' stalls, and holding a wild carousal in the sanctuary. The
peculiar interest of Wells lies not only in the cathedral itself, but
in its _entourage_. Secular chapters were communities for the purposes
of worship only. They had no "common life." Their only common room was
the chapter-house, where they met for the transaction of business. The
canons had their own separate establishments, and their residences
remain for the most part intact to-day. This secular character was
stamped upon the cathedral from the first. King Ina founded it as a
secular church, and though Bishop Giso, the last of the Saxon bishops,
made an attempt to reconstitute the chapter on "regular" lines, and is
said to have actually built a refectory and dormitory, the foundation
soon reverted to its original ideals, and the monastic offices were
removed as unnecessary. Like most cathedrals, Wells has been the
composition of many hands, and is carried out in many different styles.
Roughly, the work may be classified as follows: _Norm._ perhaps even
_Pre-Norm._ font; _Trans. Norm._ N. porch, nave and transepts: _E.E._
W. front; _Dec._ lady chapel and chapter-house, central tower and
choir; _Perp._ W. towers, cloisters, gate-houses, chain gateway, and
remains of destroyed cloister chapel. A casual glance will show that
the cathedral occupies the centre of a gated close, with deanery and
canons' houses to N., and bishop's palace to S. The attention is first
arrested, as was no doubt intended, by the view from the spacious
green. Here the spectator not only has before him the finest W. front
in England, but finds spread out for his study a mediaeval historical
picture-book. The statuary is not only designed to enhance the general
architectural effect of the building, but is a genuine attempt to teach
the unlearned the rudiments of ecclesiastical and secular history. The
idea, however, is so artistically carried out that the didactic purpose
of the sculpture is completely disguised. Quite in keeping with the
usual mediaeval notion, Church and State are regarded as two separate
kingdoms, and the events of sacred and profane history are kept
distinct. The S. half is assigned to the ecclesiastics, and the N.
occupied by the royalties. The figures and medallions have suffered
considerably from time and fanaticism, and are too distant to be now
easily deciphered. If, however, they are studied from photographs (some
of which are exhibited in a photographer's show-case in the Square),
their rare grace and workmanship, which caught the eye of Flaxman and
secured the admiration of Ruskin, will be at once discerned. This
unrivalled _façade_ was the work of Bishop Joceline, brother of Hugh of
Lincoln, in 1232, and is in the purest style of E.E. Joceline's design
ended on the N. and S. with the string courses above the top groups of
statuary. The towers, which add immensely to the general impressiveness
of the whole, were an afterthought. They are Perp. work. The S. tower
was built by Bishop Harewell in 1366-86, and its fellow did not follow
till 1407-24, when it was constructed by the executors of Bishop
Bubwith. The latter differs from its companion only in the possession
of two canopied niches let into the buttresses. To study the church
historically the visitor should enter the N. porch, the oldest part of
the present building. It is E.E., but was executed before the style had
divested itself of its Norm. traditions (observe the zig-zag ornament).
This exceedingly beautiful porch is considered by some to be the gem of
the cathedral. Note (1) foliaged weather-moulding, (2) the square
_bas-reliefs_ on either side of entrance, (3) deeply-recessed double
arcading, (4) sculptured capitals, (5) parvise. If on entering the
church the visitor will at once take his stand beneath the central
tower, and looking N. and S. down the transepts, E. as far as the
throne, and W. to the porch by which he entered, can picture the E. end
closed by an apse and the church lighted by narrow lancets, and can
further imagine the absence of the organ-screen and the unsightly
inverted arches, he will have a very fair idea of what the church
looked like when it left the hands of its first builder, Bishop Robert,
in 1166. The nave was carried westwards to its present limits in
1174-91 by his successor, Bishop Reginald, and to this Bishop Joceline
added the W. front, built the E. cloister, and consecrated the whole
edifice in October 1239. The architecture of the nave has been aptly
described as "improved Norman." Its peculiarities are assigned to the
idiosyncrasies of local builders. The general effect is a certain
monotonous severity, and the absence of vaulting shafts gives the
building a tunnel-like appearance. The inverted arches are disguised
struts inserted in 1338 to prevent the collapse of the central tower.
They give, it is true, character to the interior, but their effect is
ungainly. Bishop Robert's work can be distinguished from his
successor's by the larger stones employed, the transverse tooling (as
if done by an adze), and the existence of grotesques in the tympanum of
the arches of the triforium. Note in nave (1) humorous figures on
capitals of arcade, (2) _cinque cento_ glass in central light of W.
window (an importation), (3) the Perp. arches on each side of tower
archway, (4) the beautiful chantries, on N. of Bishop Bubwith, on S. of
Hugh Sugar (the details will repay study), (5) chapels under W. towers,
(6) ugly pulpit, given by Bishop Knight in 1540, (7) above S. arcade,
Perp. minstrels' gallery and projecting heads of a king with a falling
lad and a bishop with children. They may have been the support of a
small organ, but the local wiseacres were accustomed to declare that
they were intended as prophecies of the evil days which should befall
the church when a king should have a weakling for his heir and Wells
should receive as its bishop a married man. These predictions were held
to be fulfilled when Henry VIII., whose heir was Edward VI., nominated
to the see Bishop Barlow. In N. transept note curious astronomical
clock, which strikes the hours by a clumsy representation of a
tournament. It was originally constructed for Glastonbury Abbey by P.
Lightfoot, one of the monks. In S. transept note (1) vigorous
grotesques on capitals, (2) font, perhaps pre-Norm. The visitor should
now pay the customary 6d. and seek admission to the choir.
Historically, both lady chapel and chapter house preceded the present
choir; but the custodian's custom is to show the choir first. As it
stands it was the work of Bishop Ralph in 1329-63, who reconstructed
Bishop Robert's choir, removed the apse, and extended the building
three bays eastwards. Bishop Ralph's contribution to the fabric may be
distinguished within by the tall vaulting shafts running up from
basement to roof, and without by the flying buttresses. It is a stately
example of late Dec. work, verging on exuberance. The furniture of the
choir with the exception of the throne (15th cent.), and a few
misereres in the second row of stalls, is modern. Note fine old glass
in E. window. The lady chapel at the E. is justly considered one of the
finest extant examples of the more chaste Dec. style. Its builder was
Bishop Drokensford, 1326. The structural design is cunningly contrived.
An octagonal chamber is transformed within into a pentagonal apse by
the simple device of resting the three western sides on piers, and thus
throwing it into one building with the retrochoir, thereby considerably
enhancing the general artistic effect. The glass in the windows is
ancient, but is merely a medley of fragments. Before examining the
_Chapter House_ the visitor should dive through the doorway in the N.
choir-aisle, and take a look at the so-called _crypt_. It is really
only the basement of the chapter house, and was used as the cathedral
_Treasury_. It is an octagonal chamber with a low vault supported on
cylindrical columns. It now contains an assortment of mediaeval odds
and ends, from a fine 14th-cent. wooden door to an urn that once
contained a human heart. Note, besides other things, (1) stone lantern,
(2) piscina with carved dog and bone. The chapter house is reached by a
flight of stone steps leading out of the N. transept aisle (turn to the
R.). Note, in passing, the corbels with conventual figures. The
_Chapter House_ is an octagonal chamber of spacious dimensions. The
walls are indented with a recessed arcade, and carry a bench table. The
vaulting springs from single shafts, and is supported in the centre by
a massive clustered column. The building is a finely-executed example
of geometric Dec., and dates from the episcopate of William de Marchia
(1293-1319). Note (1) the excellent tracery of the windows, and the
fragments of old glass; (2) carved heads in arcading of wall, (3)
double archway of door. Before returning to the nave the visitor should
make an examination of the _Monuments_ in the transepts and choir
aisles. Their identity will best be discovered from a glance at the
plan provided by the verger. Here mention will only be made of the most
notable. In S. transept, against S. wall (1) William de Marchia (1319),
builder of the chapter house; (2) Viscountess Lisle, with coloured
canopy (14th cent.). In Chapel of St Calixtus (1) shrine of Bishop
Beckington, unhappily detached from its original position over his
tomb; (2) Treasurer Husee (1309); observe panel with representation of
the Trinity. In S. choir aisle (1) incised slab (said to be one of the
earliest in England) of Bishop Bytton, junior (1274), to touch which
was once held to be an infallible remedy for toothache (see grotesque
on a capital in S. transept); (2) modern recumbent effigy of Bishop
Hervey (d. 1894); (3) Bishop Beckington (1464), with skeleton beneath
(cp. Frome); (4) Bishop Harewell (1386), builder of S.W. tower; observe
hare at his feet (cp. sugar loaves in Sugar's chantry). In the Chapel
of St John the Evangelist--a sort of choir transept--(1) Dean Gunthorpe
(1475), builder of the Deanery; observe Dec. piscina in E. wall; (2)
Bishop Drokensford (1309-29), builder of the Lady Chapel; (3) shrine of
unknown person. In N. choir aisle, Bishop Ralph de Salopia (1363),
builder of the choir (possibly removed here from the sanctuary). The
effigies of the Saxon bishops in the choir aisles were probably an
after-thought of Bishop Joceline, who perhaps thought that this tardy
testimonial to the labours of his predecessors would be an effective
advertisement of the priority of his see. The labelled stone coffins of
Dudoc and Giso are said to have been unearthed within recent memory. In
S. transept aisle are (1) Bishop Still (1608); (2) Bishop Kidder, Ken's
successor, killed by the fall of the palace chimney-stack during a
memorable storm in 1703; (3) against N. wall, Bishop T. Cornish
(1513)--a tomb supposed to have been used as an Easter sepulchre (cp.
Pilton). The visitor should now inspect the cloisters, and should
observe in passing the fine external E.E. doorway ruthlessly obscured
by the Perp. vaulting. The cloisters form a covered ambulatory leading
from the S. transept to the S.W. corner of the nave. Bishop Joceline,
Bishop Bubwith's executors, and Bishop Beckington all seem to have had
a hand in their construction; Beckington has stamped his rebus on some
of the bosses of the roof. The cathedral library forms an upper storey
to the E. cloister, and a corresponding chamber runs the length of the
cloister opposite, now used as a choir practising room. Note in E.
cloister (1) external lavatories, (2) doorway in E. wall leading to a
quiet little burial-ground. This was the site of an additional lady
chapel (late Perp.) built by Bishop Stillington (1466-91). It was
destroyed at the instigation of Bishop Barlow by Sir John Gates, a
fanatical Puritan, the wrecker of the palace hard by. Some fragments of
the vaulting are piled up in the cloisters, and a few traces of
panelling remain on the exterior face of the doorway. The burial-ground
is a good position from which to view the external features of the
choir. The high architectural merit of Bishop Ralph's work will be
quickly discerned, and due note should be taken of the skilful way in
which a structural necessity has been turned to artistic advantage in
the erection of the flying buttresses. In the earlier work they exist,
but are hidden away as unsightly props beneath the roof of the aisles.
Their artistic possibilities having caught the eye of the builder, they
are here brought out into the light, and form a very pleasing feature
in the general design. The visitor should now return to the cathedral
in order to inspect the _Vicars' Close_, one of the unique features of
Wells. The flight of stairs which gives entrance to the chapter-house
leads also by a covered bridge--known as the _Chain Gate_--across the
street into the Close, and thus forms a private passage whereby the
singers may pass from the church to their quarters. The public have to
find their way by returning to the street. Pass under the chain-gate,
turn sharply to the left under another archway, and the Close is before
you. It is a quaint oblong court closed at one end by the entrance
gateway, and at the other by a chapel. On either side is a "quiet range
of houses" with picturesque gables and high chimneys. Note the
"canting" escutcheons of Swan, Sugar, and Talbot, Beckington's
executors, on some of the chimneys. The houses, which were intended as
the abode of the college of singing clerks, have been much modernised;
but one or two still retain some semblance of their original design.
The idea of gathering the singers together into a fraternity was Bishop
Ralph's. He provided them with these picturesque dwellings, and gave
them the common dining-hall which forms the upper storey of the
entrance gateway. This is said to be one of the most beautiful examples
of mid-14th-cent. domestic architecture in the country. It was enlarged
subsequently by Rich. Pomeroy (_temp._ Hen. VIII.), and Bishop
Beckington's executors are said to have built the chapel at the other
end of the Close. Regarded now-a-days as a devotional superfluity by
the singers, it has been turned over to the Theological College. The
chapel and muniment room above should be inspected, but admission
cannot now be obtained to the hall. Before leaving the Cathedral
precincts note on the same side of the road as the Vicars' Close (in
order, westwards): (1) the _Archdeacon's House_, now used as the
College library, (2) the _Deanery_--an embattled residence with
gatehouse and turrets, built by Dean Gunthorpe, 1472-98 (the imposing
character of the building is not discernible from the road, as the real
front faces the garden), (3) _Browne's Gate_, through which the Close
is entered from Sadler Street. The remainder of the official residences
of the chapter lie to the N. of the Deanery, outside the Close, in a
street called the E. Liberty--so named because it lay outside parochial
jurisdiction. Though much modernised, they are mostly mediaeval
buildings. The path which traverses the Cathedral green enters the
Market place by the third of the Close gate-ways--_Penniless Porch_,
where alms are said to have been periodically distributed. This was the
work of Beckington; note the prelate's arms on W. face, and rebus (a
beacon and tun) on the E. side. Beckington made the city his debtor by
giving it a water supply. He tapped the well in the palace garden,
which feeds the fountain in the square. Note the quaint method of
distributing the overflow.
[Illustration: VICARS' CLOSE, WELLS]
Next in interest to the Cathedral is _the Palace_. It is approached
either from the cloisters or through another of Beckington's porches,
called the _Palace Eye_. Both entrances give access to the outer court.
Within is a second court containing the palace. This inclosure is
protected by crenellated walls and surrounded by a moat. These
semi-fortifications were erected by Bishop Ralph, who perhaps found
that a mitre was as uneasy a headgear as a crown. A gate-house, with a
drawbridge commands the entrance. If the porter has not been too
worried by tourists a peep may sometimes be obtained at the sacred
enclosure. The actual palace forms the E. boundary of what was once a
stately quadrangle. The kitchens formed the N. wing, and on the S. was
the chapel and hall. The latter is now only a picturesque ruin. The
oldest part of the structure has oddly enough been the one to survive.
With the exception of the modern upper storey, the existing palace was
the work of Bishop Joceline (1206-42). It consists of a groined
basement, forming an entrance hall (note chimney piece) and dining
hall. Above are the household apartments and a picture gallery, hung
with portraits of former occupants of the see. The chapel and the now
dismantled great hall on the S. were built by Bishop Burnell (1274-92).
The chapel remains intact. It is a fine Dec. building, with groined
roof and some good window tracery. Of the hall only the N. and W. walls
and some detached turrets now survive. It was originally a chamber of
quite majestic proportions, covered by a wooden roof and lighted on
either side by some tall 2-light Dec. windows. At the W. end stood the
buttery and above it the solar (a "sunny" drawing-room). The palace
appears to have been sold by Bishop Barlow to Protector Somerset, and
upon the dispersal of Somerset's ill-gotten gains it passed into the
hands of Sir J. Gates, who unroofed the building for the sake of its
lead and timber. The ruin of the fabric was completed by Dean Burgess
(_temp._ Cromwell), who used it as a quarry for the repair of the
Deanery. A kind of poetic justice eventually overtook both these
depredators. Gates lost his head and Burgess his liberty. A
particularly picturesque bit of the palace is the N. face overlooking
the moat. The dead surface of the wall is prettily broken by some
projecting oriel windows, the insertion of Bishop Clarke (1523-40). The
gardens are delightful, and are watered by St Andrew's well which
gushes from its hidden sources to overflow into the moat. A visitor may
occasionally enjoy the mild sensation of seeing a bevy of swans ring a
bell for their dinner. To the right of the broad public walk which runs
along the W. side of the moat is the city recreation ground in which
will be noticed the old episcopal barn. It is a good example of a
mediaeval granary, and is said to be of the same age as the N.W. tower
of the Cathedral. It has an unusual number of buttresses.
[Illustration: THE PALACE GATEWAY, WELLS]
It is the misfortune, not the fault, of the subordinate churches of a
cathedral city that they arouse but a languid interest in the already
surfeited sight-seer. Wells has one other church which merits more than
a passing attention. St Cuthbert's is a Perp. building of generous
dimensions. It possesses an exceedingly fine tower of the best Somerset
type--massive and graceful--belonging to the same class as the towers
of Wrington and Evercreech, but spoilt by a want of proportion between
the upper and lower stages. The interior of the church is spacious and
imposing, and contains a good panelled roof. The E.E. capitals of the
piers and some old roof marks suggest that it was originally an E.E.
cruciform fabric, altered by Perp. builders, and heightened by the
erection of a clerestory. There is documentary evidence that a "public
collection" was made in 1561 to repair the havoc caused by the collapse
of the central tower. The transeptal chapels were once brilliant with
statuary and colour, but the axes and hammers of the image breakers
have successfully purged them of their original glory. All that is left
for the admiration of the modern visitor are a few gaping recesses and
a pile of gathered fragments. Note (1) double transepts, (2) oak
pulpit, (3) Dec. window with Jesse altar-piece in S. transept, (3)
piscinas, in chancel and S. choir aisle, (5) mutilated figure of knight
in ruff and armour at E. end of N. aisle, (6) tomb with figure (1614)
under tower. The other antiquities of Wells are (1) Bishop Bubwith's
alms-houses in Chamberlain Street (near St Cuthbert's Church)--an
eccentric building, containing a number of separate cells, a chapel and
a small hall under one roof (note old alms chest in hall, now called
the Committee room), (2) some ancient timber-work in the courtyard of
the Crown Inn.
Amongst the more interesting walks in the neighbourhood are (1)
Arthur's Point, offering a good view of the Glastonbury plain; (2) Tor
and Dulcot hills on the Shepton road; (3) Ebbor rocks near Wookey Hole.
_Wembdon_, a parish 1 m. N.W. of Bridgwater, of which it is virtually a
suburb. The church has been restored (after a fire in 1868), and its
ancient features have been obliterated. On the S. of the building is an
old cross.
_Westbury_ (stat. Lodge Hill), a village on the road between Wells and
Axbridge, 4 m. N.W. from the former town. It has an interesting church
(ded. to St Lawrence), with a W. tower of the prevailing Perp. type,
but supported on a Norm. arch (the flanking columns do not reach the
ground). There is also a Norm. door on the N. side, now blocked. In the
S. porch note the doors which once led to the parvise or gallery above,
and the holy-water stoup. The E. window is Dec., with the interior arch
foliated. The S. aisle has a small chapel at the E. end, containing a
tomb of George Rodney (d. 1586).
_Weston_, a parish forming a suburb of Bath. Of its church the only old
portion is the tower, with angular buttresses finishing in pinnacles.
The nave was rebuilt in 1832.
_Weston Bampfylde_, a parish 1 m. S. of Sparkford. Its little church
has a W. octagonal tower on a square base. Within the building should
be noticed (1) the rood staircase, which has been thrown open; (2) the
Norm. font with cable mouldings; (3) the two squints.
_Weston-in-Gordano_, a village 3 m. N.E. of Clevedon, on the Portishead
road. Its little church is well worth inspection. The tower (with a
pyramidal top) is said to be E.E., and is placed on the S. side of the
church (rather an exceptional position in this county). The most
interesting features are (1) indications of a gallery over the S. porch
(intended to be used by choristers on Palm Sunday); (2) holy water
stoup within S. door; (3) curious 13th-cent. stone reading-desk or
pulpit in S. wall; (4) "Miserere" seats in the choir, with their quaint
carvings (attributed to the 14th cent.); (5) Jacobean oak pulpit; (6)
Norm. font; (7) sanctus bell-cot; (8) fine 15th-cent. tomb (with French
epitaph) of "Rycharde Persyvale"; (9) piscina in S. wall. There is an
altar-tomb in the churchyard, said to belong to a Percival of the time
of Richard I.
WESTON-SUPER-MARE, a popular seaside resort on the Bristol Channel, 139
m. from London and 20 m. S.W. from Bristol, with a population of nearly
20,000. A loop thrown from the G.W.R. main line at Worle enables the
traveller to reach the place without the inconvenience of changing
trains. The town lies in the entrance of a crescent-like indentation
which the sea has scooped out of the flats that intervene between the
conspicuous promontories of Worle Hill on the N. and Brean Down on the
S. The rise of the town has been recent and rapid. A century has
transformed it from a mere handful of fishermen's cottages into one of
the most popular resorts of the West. The bay faces due W. and commands
an uninterrupted view of the Atlantic. Besides this advantageous
geographical position, the town possesses all the qualifications of a
first-class watering-place except the one essential feature of the
water. At ebb tide the sea beats a hasty retreat across the bay, and
leaves as its substitute many acres of dimpled mud--a peculiarity which
has caused the frivolous to nickname it _Weston-super-Mud_. But
enterprising Weston has turned even this gibe to advantage by claiming
that the ozone which exhales from the ooze is one of the chief elements
in its salubrity. Moreover the estrangement between the sea and the
shore is by no means permanent. At high tides the spray breaks over the
esplanade in showers, and under the stimulus of a brisk westerly breeze
these demonstrations of the "sad sea waves" are quite lively. Weston's
advantages have been exploited to the full by its townspeople. A broad
and well-paved esplanade, 2-1/2 m. long, encircles the shore. Two piers
are thrust out into the sea--the older one, with twin landing-stages,
connects the N. end of the town with the islet of Birnbeck; the new one
runs out from the centre of the parade for half a mile across the mud,
and is furnished with an elaborate pavilion. Sea-bathing of a sort is
occasionally obtainable, and some good public baths supply what in this
respect is lacking. A strip of sand at the foot of the esplanade
furnishes the children with a somewhat restricted playground. The shops
are good, the accommodation plentiful, and in amusements the town can
almost vie with Blackpool and Brighton. There are two public
parks--Grove Park in the centre of the town, and Clarence Park (more
spacious and pleasing) near the Sanatorium. In a mushroom-town like
Weston there are naturally not many antiquities. Such "finds" as
occasionally come to hand are treasured in a museum attached to the
Free Library in the Boulevard. The churches are modern. In the parish
church--an ingeniously ugly building--are one or two remnants of an
earlier structure. Note (1) font near chancel; (2) representation of
Trinity (cp. Binegar, S. Brent, and Yatton) built into interior wall of
N. vestry; (3) fantastic glass in E. window. In the churchyard are the
remains of a cross. Weston has, however, one antiquity of quite
remarkable interest in _Worlebury Camp_. As viewed from the parade the
crest of the hill behind the town will be seen to be crowned with an
extensive litter of stones. These are the débris of a primitive
fortification. To investigate make for the junction of South Road and
Edgehill Street (the old pier), turn down a lane on the L. and ascend a
flight of concealed steps at the bottom. The rampart is now largely a
confused heap of limestone fragments, but the general plan of it may be
easily detected. The camp is confined to the W. extremity of the hill
and covers an area of about 10 acres. On the S., or level side, it is
defended not only by the main rampart, but by two supplementary walls
separated by a fosse. Within the fortification will be found a number
of circular pits, some 93 in all. This circumstance gives the camp its
peculiarity. From remains of corn and other produce found at the
bottom, they are believed to have been receptacles for storage. The
pits vary in size, the average diameter being 6 ft. and the depth 5 ft.
They were, perhaps, originally protected by some kind. of roof,
constructed of wicker-work. Amongst their contents have been found some
human remains, many of them showing injuries produced by weapons. The
construction of the camp has been assigned to the 3rd cent. B.C. It had
three entrances, on the S.E. side, the N.E. corner, and the W. end of
the hill. Beyond the camp the hill is traversed by paths, any of which
will serve for a pleasant ramble. If the central path through the wood
be continued, a descent may be made to Kewstoke or Milton, or a more
prolonged walk may be taken to Worle. Weston's most charming walk is,
however, to skirt the N. base of Worle Hill and proceed through the
woods to Kewstoke, whence _Worspring Priory_ (q.v.) may be visited.
(Cycles and carriages pay toll at the lodge, pedestrians free.)
[Illustration: WESTON-SUPER-MARE]
_Weston Zoyland_, a parish 4 m. E.S.E. of Bridgwater. The village is
more closely associated even than its neighbour Chedzoy with the Battle
of Sedgmoor, for Feversham, the Royalist general, had his headquarters
here; and, after the battle many of the rebels were confined in the
church. The church, which, unlike Chedzoy, is mainly Dec. and Perp., is
remarkable for its unusually lofty tower (which has triple windows in
the belfry). The nave has a good roof, with pendants. The N. transept
is noteworthy for being carried above the base of the clerestory. The
parish belonged to Glastonbury, and in one of the chancel windows, on
one of the seat ends, and on one of the external buttresses of the S.
chapel, are the initials _R.B._ (Richard Bere, the last but one of the
abbots). In a recess under the window of the N. transept is the
15th-cent. effigy of a priest. Note (1) the font, with curious hoops;
(2) piscinas in N. and S. chapels; (3) old communion table. In the
fields between the church and Chedzoy were buried the slain of
Sedgemoor.
_Whatley_, a small village 3 m. W. from Frome. The church is a small
Dec. building with a rather dim interior. The W. tower, like the
neighbouring church of Frome, carries a spire. There is a plain Norm.
doorway within the porch. A projecting chantry chapel on the S. has a
squint (note the accommodating bulge in the external wall), and
contains an altar tomb with recumbent effigy of Sir Oliver de
Servington (1350). Some of the bells are of pre-Reformation date.
Amongst the "rude forefathers of the hamlet" sleeps Dean Church, who
held the rectory for nineteen years before his promotion to the Deanery
of St Paul's. His grave is near the S. wall of the chancel. Observe the
small ecclesiastical window in the farn at the back of the church.
_Whatley House_ (rebuilt 1861) is on the site of an older mansion. In a
neighbouring field is preserved (_in situ_) a Roman pavement and the
ruins of a bath. In the grounds is a cross (restored) removed here from
Nunney.
_Wheathill_, 5 m. S.W. from Castle Cary. The small church has been much
restored.
_Whitchurch_, a village on the main road between Bristol and Shepton
Mallet (nearest station Brislington, 2 m.). It has a small (originally
cruciform) church, with a low central tower, which is worth inspecting.
The tower arches seem to be Trans. and the chancel has three very small
lancets. There is a Norm. font, and outside the S. doorway is a stoup.
_Whitelackington_, a village 1-1/2 m. E.N.E. of Ilminster. Its church
is a handsome structure. The tower and body of the building are Perp.,
but there is Dec. work in the transepts (where note piscinas). In the
N. transept is the tomb of Sir George Speke (d. 1637), whilst under a
window in the N. aisle are some small inscriptions on metal in memory
of Anthonie Poole and his wife Margerie (d. 1587, 1606). In the park of
_Whitelackington House_ there formerly stood a splendid chestnut tree,
under which Monmouth met a large assemblage of his supporters in 1680.
_Whitestaunton_, a village 3-1/2 m. N.W. from Chard. As the only
approach is by a rough country lane, the place is somewhat
inaccessible, but it possesses much antiquarian interest. The church
(Perp.) is poor, but contains (1) rood-loft stair and part of a small
Perp. screen; (2) early Norm, font; (3) piscina in sill of sanctuary
window; (4) some mediaeval tiles near altar, bearing arms of Montacute
(according to some, Ferrers) and De Staunton; (5) curious squint,
looking towards S. chapel (cp. Mark); (6) a few old bench ends; (7)
pewter communion plate; (8) stone screen dividing small N. chantry from
chancel; (9) in N. chapel, two tombs with armorial bearings, and a
brass (1582) to the Brett family, former lords of the manor. Two of the
bells are mediaeval. In the churchyard is the base and shaft of a
cross. Close by the church is a manor house, some portions of which
date from the 15th cent., but altered in the 16th cent. by John Brett,
whose initials are carved on the wainscoting of the dining-room; and in
the grounds are the exposed foundations of a Roman villa, discovered in
1882. Beneath an archway is a well, near which, when discovered, were
traces of a Roman shrine. Old workings, supposed to be Roman mines,
exist in the neighbourhood.
_Wick St Lawrence_, a parish 2 m. N. of Worle, on the flats near the
coast. It has a Perp. church (formerly a chapel of Congresbury), a
building of no interest, but containing a fine stone pulpit. Note, too,
(1) ancient tub font; (2) carved chairs, with crown and Tudor roses, in
sanctuary; (3) remains of inscription at N.E. angle of nave. The S.
porch seems once to have had a gallery. Near the church, in the
roadway, is a fragment of a fine cross, on an exceptionally high
pedestal.
WILLITON, a pleasant little town (with station on the Minehead line),
once the abode of Reginald Fitzurse, one of the murderers of Becket. It
is rather curious that of the four knights concerned in the murder
three were connected with Somerset, viz., Fitzurse, Brito (of Sampford
Brett), and Moreville. The church, which is said to have been a chantry
chapel founded by Robert Fitzurse, Reginald's brother, has been
completely rebuilt; its only antiquities are the W. doorway, the font
(1666), a piscina, and two brackets on the E. wall. There are the
remains of an old cross in the graveyard, and of a second near the
"Egremont Hotel." Past the church the road leads to _Orchard Wyndham_,
a fine manor house.
WINCANTON, a trim-looking little market town in the S.E. corner of the
county, with a station on the S. & D. line to Bournemouth, and
possessing a population of more than 2000. It consists chiefly of one
long street, which descends a steepish declivity into the vale of
Blackmoor. The river Cale, from which the town derives its name
(_Wynd-Caleton_) flows at its foot. The history of Wincanton is
miscellaneous but unromantic. In 1553 travellers gave the place a wide
berth on account of the plague. In the Great Rebellion a Parliamentary
garrison used the town as a base of operations against Sherborne
Castle. In the Revolution the Prince of Orange (William III.) had here
a brisk but successful skirmish with a squad of James's Dragoons. The
prince's lodgings are still pointed out in South Street. The town,
however, contains no antiquities. It has a modern town hall, and
virtually a modern church, for of the original fabric nothing now
remains but an unimpressive Dec. tower. The present building is a twin
structure. The authorities, apparently disgusted at their predecessors'
ideas of reconstruction, have lately replaced the N. aisle by a new
church of much better design and proportions. The N. porch of the new
building contains a curious mediaeval _bas-relief_, brought here for
preservation.
_Winford_, a parish 4 m. S.S.E. of Flax Bourton station. Its church
possesses a stately tower, but retains no other feature of interest.
_Winscombe_ (with a station) is a parish 2 m. N.W. of Axbridge. Its
church, which stands conspicuously on rising ground and commands a fine
view, has a graceful tower resembling that of Cheddar, with triple
belfry windows. Its chief defect is the shallowness of its buttresses.
Note the lily on the stone-work of the central window (cp. Banwell).
There is a good parapet along the aisles, and the rood-loft stair has
an external turret. Within note (1) wooden roof of N. aisle; (2)
ancient glass in E. windows of N. aisle and N. window of chancel; (3)
some carved seat-ends; (4) old stone coffin in churchyard.
_Winsford_, a village on the Exe, 8 m. N. of Dulverton Station. It is a
pleasant and picturesque little place, situated in a valley just where
the Exe as a tumbling brook emerges from the moors to settle down into
a sober stream; and is a favourite meet for the staghounds. The church
is a good-sized building, with a gaunt-looking tower, but is of no
particular interest. The font, is Norm., and so probably is the
round-headed S. doorway. The windows at the E. of the nave are
peculiar.
_Winsham_, a village on the Axe, near the Dorset border, 2-1/2 m.
N.N.E. of Chard Junction. Its church, which has been extensively
restored, possesses a good central tower (though there are no
transepts), with a turret at the S.W. angle. The chancel inclines S.
from the axis of the nave. The walls of the nave are older than the
present Perp. windows, and traces of an earlier window are still
visible on the S. wall. The chancel lights are partly E.E., partly
early Dec. Note (1) the small squint; (2)the oak screen with its loft;
(3) the monument (1639), on the E. wall of the chancel; (4) the old
copy of Foxe's "Book of Martyrs"; (5) the much-defaced painting (on
wood) of the Crucifixion (said to date from the 14th cent.), which is
now hung on the N. wall under the tower, but was formerly placed above
the screen, serving to complete the separation of the sanctuary from
the nave. The Crucifixion as a subject for representation on such
_tympana_ is said to be rare, the Last Judgment being the one usually
selected. Opposite the "George Inn" is the base of an old market cross
with a modern shaft.