St. Cuthbert’s Church, Wells, South West, England

The church of St. Cuthbert in Wells that we see today began in the early 13th Century while the Cathedral was also being built.  It may have been the third church to be built on this site. The church was then raised in height in the 14th Century, with the tower being added in the 15th Century.

St. Cuthbert was an illustrious Saxon saint, who lived in the 7th century.  He is thought to have been a monk, a bishop and a hermit. He was born in the area of Old Melrose Abbey, in what is Scotland today. It is said he decided to become a monk after seeing a vision on the night that St. Aidan, the founder of Lindisfarne died. 

St. Cuthbert’s may be the largest parish church in Somerset and it is located right in the centre of Wells. Since Elizabethan times the Treasury and Armoury did not just safeguard the church plate, it was also used to store weapons and gunpowder in case the city needed to be defended.