Vicars' Close, Wells

Vicars' Close
Vicars' Close looking towards the cathedral
TypeCul-de-sac
OwnerWells Cathedral
Length140 m (460 ft)
LocationWells, Somerset, England
Coordinates51°12′41″N 2°38′37″W / 51.2115°N 2.6437°W / 51.2115; -2.6437
Construction
Construction start1348[1]
Completion1430[2]
Other
Known forOldest purely residential street with its original buildings all surviving intact in Europe.[3]
StatusGrade I listed buildings[1][2][4][5][6][7]

Vicars' Close, in Wells, Somerset, England, is said to be Europe's oldest purely residential street with original buildings intact.[3] John Julius Norwich called it "that rarest of survivals, a planned street of the mid-14th century".[8] It comprises numerous Grade I listed buildings, comprising 27 residences (originally 44), built for Bishop Ralph of Shrewsbury, a chapel and library at the north end, and a hall at the south end, over an arched gate. It is connected at its southern end to Wells Cathedral by a walkway over Chain Gate.

The close is about 140 metres (460 ft) long, and paved with setts. Its width is tapered by 3 metres (9.8 ft) to make it look longer when viewed from the main entrance nearest the cathedral. When viewed from the other end, it looks shorter. By the nineteenth century, the buildings were reported to be in a poor state of repair, and part of the hall was being used as a malt house. Repairs have since been carried out, including the construction of Shrewsbury House to replace buildings damaged in a fire.

The Vicars' Hall was completed in 1348 and included a communal dining room, administrative offices and treasury of the Vicars Choral. The houses on either side of the close were built in the 14th and early 15th centuries. Since then, alterations have been made, including a unified roof, front gardens and raised chimneys. The final part of the construction of the close was during the 1420s, when the Vicars' Chapel and Library was constructed on the wall of the Liberty of St Andrew. The southern face includes shields commemorating the bishops of the time. The interior is decorated with 19th-century gesso work by Heywood Sumner and the building now used by Wells Cathedral School.

  1. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference nhlehall was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference nhlechapel was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b Leete-Hodge, Lornie (1985). Curiosities of Somerset. Bodmin: Bossiney Books. p. 29. ISBN 0-906456-98-3.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference nhlewalls14to27 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference nhlewalls1to13 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference nhle1to13 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference nhle14to27 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Norwich, John Julius (1985). The Architecture of Southern England. Macmillan. p. 574. ISBN 978-0333220375.