Cleeve Abbey was remarkable and, keeping to the theme, we also visited a number of medieval churches in the area.
Evercreech, a small village near Shepton Mallet, has St Peter's church which was built in the 13th to 15th centuries.
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| The church has a large, ornate tower which dwarfs the surrounding cottages |
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| The painting of the nave roof was completed in the 1550s |
Near Cleeve Abbey is St Andrew's church in the village of
Old Cleeve.
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| As we approached Old Cleeve we enjoyed a good view across the Bristol Channel |
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| Much of the floor is covered with medieval tiles made by the monks at Cleeve Abbey |
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| The tiles are well preserved despite being a similar age to those surviving at the abbey |
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| The ornate chandelier dates from the 1770s below an 'angel roof' |
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| The poor box is dated 1634 |
After Old Cleeve we moved to
Watchet and St Decuman's church.
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| St Decuman's church has stood on this site since the 13th century |
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| The interior shares a number of features with nearby Cleeve Abbey ... |
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| ... including another 'angel roof' ... |
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| ... and medieval tiles on the floor |
Somerset has a large number of ancient churches and we only had time to visit a few of them. We wanted to end our tour at
Wells, a small city with a population of around 12,000 but with a very fine cathedral.
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| The cathedral can be enjoyed at a distance from Cathedral Green. The west front includes many sculptures of prophets, angels and other icons, mostly life-size or larger |
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| The west front is said to be the finest collection of medieval sculptures in England |
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| The fine stone work continues inside |
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| Every tiny detail is finished to perfection |
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| Biblical symbolism is everywhere |
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| The fine decoration includes the ceilings |
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| The five windows of the Lady Chapel, four of which are madeup of fragments of medieval glass |
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| The rich colours illuminate the chapel |
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| The fine stonework continues to the cloisters |
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| The fan ceiling of the adjacent Chapter House is said to resemble palm trees |
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| The octagonal building has seating round the edge for the canons who discussed cathedral matters |
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| The catheral of often seen looming above the low buildings in the pretty, historic city |
The medieval worshippers of Somerset wanted to create the best possible churches, bringing all the skills available at the time - including floor tiles, stone carvings, beautiful windows. Some 900 years later we can only gaze in awe at the results of their devotion.
