During an August bank holiday trip to Somerset, I visited the wonderful Bishop’s Palace and Gardens. The stunning medieval palace and mesmerising gardens are located in the heart of the city of Wells and took only 20 minutes by car from our glamping accommodation at Petruth Paddocks Campsite. I had the best day wandering around the gardens, learning about the history of the palace and enjoying some scrumptious food in the Bishop’s Table, the onsite café. I can only apologise in advance for the masses of beautiful photos that are included in this post – this isn’t even all of the ones I took – it was all just too gorgeous not to photograph!
The Bishop’s Palace and Chapel
To reach the entrance to the moated palace you have to walk through the heart of Wells. The entrance is literally at the end of the high-street / market area and every Saturday there is a local market directly outside. Given its location, there is no parking available on site and so I recommend planning ahead and finding a suitable car park. The day I visited the town was super busy and so do allow additional time to park and arrive.
On arrival at the Palace, picking up my complimentary ticket and guidebook was easy; and the staff were friendly and welcoming. Tickets can be brought in the shop which is attached the café – The Bishop’s Table. This area is free to enter and people can have the pleasure of sitting outside enjoying the views of the Palace and Palace Green.
The Palace has been home to the vast number of different Bishop’s of Bath and Wells for over 800 years so as you can imagine there is a huge amount of history here. The architecture is just sublime – so intricate and interesting to look at.
I decided to take one of the free guided Palace and Chapel tours that are provided twice daily (at 11am and 2pm). Nick, the tour guide, was super friendly, chatty and very knowledgeable. He introduced a group of 15, including me, to the city of Wells and provided an overview of the area before taking us to the Bishop’s Private Chapel.
Here he told us about the Chapel’s history and how it had been built by Bishop Burnell between the dates of 1275 and 1292 – can you even again what life would have looked like back then?! It was nice to see the pretty stained glass windows and there was a place to light candles for loved ones too.
Next, Nick took us through to the Palace and showed us around its grandeur. The Palace’s exterior is very opulent and given it dates back to the early thirteenth century it’s looking pretty good! Nick’s detailed commentary and clear passion for the Palace and its history shone through as we wandered around admiring the Palace’s décor. You can wander around the vaulted undercroft area before heading upstairs to see the rooms that the original Bishop Jocelin would have used.
In the long gallery, you are able to admire portraits and a timeline of all the previous Bishop’s which was really interesting. I love seeing the changes in what the Bishop’s wore and how they looked through the ages – I can never imagine posing for such a formal picture – we just snap a quick selfie now and then and upload it to Instagram nowadays don’t we! Nick was sure to point out particular Bishops of interest and told us stories of the portraits and the Bishops’ legacies. Apparently, you can have your wedding reception at the Palace – how magical and posh would that feel?! After 30 minutes Nick leaves you to admire the rest of the Palace at your own leisure.
The Palace is surrounded by a moat which was put in place by Ralph of Shrewsbury, who was Bishop from 1329 to 1363. The gatehouse to the moat remains the main entrance which gives it such an imposing and grand impression. Apparently once a year there is a moat race for people to take part in – given there hasn’t been much rain this summer I’d be intrigued to see how that went!
The Well Pools and Gardens
After admiring the Palace I joined Nick for the next tour of the well pools and gardens. This was a 45 minute tour and was a little smaller than the Palace and Chapel tour with their only being 5 of us in total. This meant it felt like a nice intimate tour and we were able to ask more questions as we were guided around the lush gardens. This tour again runs twice a day with its start times being 12pm and 3pm.
We started the tour by examining the ruins of the Great Hall. The Great Hall was apparently built by Bishop Burnell in the early 1200’s, however despite its grand opulence and finery, in the 1550s Bishop Barlow gave up the Palace for a mere sum to the Earl of Somerset. History has it that shortly after this sale the lead from the roof of the Great Hall was sold and the building soon began to crumble. Today, you can gaze at the old walls and see where the tall windows would have been. There are trees and plants growing up and around the walls which I thought was truly beautiful. There is loads more history of the great hall and the surrounding gardens which can be found on the Bishop’s Palace and Gardens website.
The gardens at the Palace actually outdate the Palace itself. Some of the gardens date back to the early 1200s and are still well maintained and looked after today. The current head gardener of the gardens, James Cross, actually lives at the palace which apparently many of the bishop’s staff have done over the many years it’s been standing.
The gardens stretch for 14 acres so there’s lots to explore and some lovely walks to be taken. There’s the quiet garden, allotments, community garden and the arboretum to enjoy. If that’s not enough then there are also the outer gardens too, where you will find the Dragon’s Lair – a place to stop for an ice cream or drink.
There were just so many lovely flowers and trees to admire and I really appreciated all the different colours that were on display. Nick had a folder which included some pictures of various trees and flowers that bloom at different times of the year. This really made me want to come back and explore the gardens in a different season and come to see the meadows full of snowdrops.
Nick took us to see the wellsprings which historically gave the city of Wells its name. He told us all about how the water from the well pools flows into the Palace moat, down along the high-street and onto the moors of Somerset. They were simply gorgeous and a great place for a photo opportunity of Wells Cathedral. I loved how the water in the pools reflected all the plush green trees – I could have sat on one of those benches for a good while if time had allowed.
The Palace Swans
So another tradition from Bishop’s Palace is the Bishop’s swans. Apparently, if visitors are lucky and patient enough they can see swans ringing a bell at the gatehouse entrance for food. Tradition has it that back in the 1870s, one of Lord Arthur Hervey’s daughters taught some swans to ring a bell at the gatehouse in return for food – I would be so intrigued to see if this still happened so many decades later! If any of you guys have visited and seen this happen then please let me know!
Bowlore Medieval
The Bishop’s Palace and Garden’s frequently host special events and for the bank holiday weekend were running a Bowlore Medieval re-enactment event. This was included in the admission price and added something a little bit different and extra to the day. The event included archery displays and a sword and weapons show which was fun to watch and had me entertained!
There was the option for visitors to have a go at trying archery and sword fighting which looked fun. All of the re-enactors were dressed up in period costumes which helped to bring some of the Palace’s history alive. You can check out the upcoming events at the Palace on their website and Facebook page.
The Bishop’s Table
I spent most of the day at Bishop’s Palace and Gardens and so was able to visit the café twice! I had a lovely cheddar cheese ploughman’s for lunch which was accompanied with bread, chutneys, pickles, grapes and apple – it was scrumptious! I was able to sit outside on the palace green and take in the atmosphere of the palace.
In the afternoon, after all that walking on the tours, I decided to treat myself to a cream tea – this included a scone with jam and cream and a pot of tea – it was delicious! Unfortunately, given the time of year, there were a lot of wasps around, but this was no fault of the café whose staff tried quickly to clear empty plates and glasses.
I really recommend the food at the Bishop’s Table, it was pretty affordable, tasty and had generous portions. There are ample places to sit both inside and outside and a range of hot and cold food options, as well as a host of tempting looking cakes!
I ended my visit by taking a trip to the well-stocked gift shop and treating myself to a few bits including some fudge and postcards.
Entrance Costs and Additional Information
Entrance to The Bishop’s Palace and Gardens costs £8.05 for adults, £7.15 for concessions and students and £3.55 for children aged 5-18 years. A family ticket for two adults and up to three children costs £21.60. I think these prices are really reasonable considering how much is on offer and especially given they included the two tours and the bowlore medieval experience. Memberships for The Bishop’s Palace and Gardens are also available and seem like a good idea to me, especially for locals. Dogs are allowed in the garden if on a short lead and all accessibility information can be found on their website.
Final Thoughts
I really had such a wonderful day exploring The Bishop’s Palace and Gardens – it was the perfect mix of history, beautiful gardens and tasty food! I enjoyed the added extras of the bowlore medieval re-enactment and the two guided tours of the Palace and Chapel and the gardens. The tour guide Nick really stole the show and is a real asset to the Palace’s team.
All the staff I spoke to were friendly and welcoming and the views of the cathedral were incredible. The Palace was full of history and medieval charm, but the gardens were the true selling point for me – the mix of flowers, trees and well pools were magnificent and so photo worthy! I loved how there were places of peace and calm in the gardens and I was able to take some time out to relax and reflect on life. I genuinely hope to return again soon!
***Entry to The Bishop’s Palace and Gardens and the inclusion of a guidebook was provided to me on a complimentary basis; however, all thoughts, pictures and opinions are entirely my own.***
The bishop’s palace and garden is one of my favourite places as well. I loved your pictures. Do the swans still ring the bell when they want to be fed? My tip would be that you can visit the café without paying for entrance to the garden. We often do.
Great to hear Anne, I’m glad you like it there too! Apparently, they do yes!
I hadn’t heard of Bishops Palace before but it sounds like such a wonderful place. The architecture looks amazing as do the gardens. And I’d have to visit without my son do I could enjoy those two tours!
Yes I really recommend the tours – they are included with admission so why not!
Oh wow I havent heard of this before either but I love the sound of it! We love to visit gardens like this, so beautiful!
It’s such a lovely place, really recommend!
The architecture of these buildings is amazing. I could spend all day staring at these buildings.
Me too, they were just beautiful!
What a stunning palace! It looks so beautiful and like you had an amazing time!
I sure did, thank you!
What a magnificent building! I love your photos. Looks like you were really lucky with the weather too on your visit.
Yes the weather did help! Everything looked extra pretty in the sun!
The Palace, the chapel and the gardens really make me so jealous and would love to visit one day. Such an incredible visit
Such a lovely place, really recommend!
I am definitely adding it to my list of UK places to explore as part of my local adventures. Thanks again for the recommendation.
Awesome, hope you get to visit one day!
Simply amazing. Your photos are so stunning it actually felt like I was on the tour with you. The architecture, the gardens, the detail inside the palace, just WOW!!!
Aww thanks, that’s such a nice comment to read!
Always great to see people visiting places in the UK! Adding this to my list 🙂
Awesome, glad to hear it!
Thanks for sharing these lovely architecture. i wish i could also come and see the place myself. The Bishop’s Palace looked really awesome!
Please do visit, it’s well worth it!
I remember visiting Wells as a young child and falling in love with it then. I’ve never been back since but this has given me all the nostalgia!
Ah really that’s cool, I hope you get to visit again one day soon!
What a gorgeous spot! I’d love to visit this place and take photos <3
It’s certainly very photo-worthy as you can tell from all the pics in this post!
How stunning, it’s my dream to one day be able to visit a place like this. The garden is breathtaking!
Isn’t it just, loved it!
Sounds like a great visit. The garden looks beautiful.
They were so pretty and relaxing to wander around!
What a beautiful place. I would love to visit here one day. The pictures are amazing.
It’s gorgeous isn’t it – I would love to visit again soon!
Looks like a beautiful place. Definitely someplace I would enjoy walking around all day.
That’s exactly what I did, wandering around for hours taking photos – such an ideal day!
Beautiful place to spend the day, the gardens are gorgeous.
Gorgeous aren’t they!
What beautiful pics and what an adventure. Love the chapel so much character.
It really does, lots of stories about all the Bishops that have served there too!
The buildings are just beautiful aren’t they. The free tour sounds great, I always learn so much from these
Me too, I love a free tour! You can learn so much and hear about places in more detail so they are a no-brainer in my eyes!
Those gardens are incredible. This looks like such a great place to spend a day. Your pics are gorgeous!
Thank you, it was easy to get carried away taking photos!
Beautiful photos. I LOVE visiting old castles and stuff like that. It’s so cool to see places with such history
Me too, always good to hear about how these places were in years gone by!
I would love to visit this! I would wnat to read up on the history of the castle and then go exploring and see what i can identify.
Yeah good idea, the tours are really good at giving you loads of history and info about the palace and the gardens!
Bishap’s Palace look like a great place to shoot photography! Plenty of photo opportunities and the great thing is not crowded.
So many photo opportunities! If not too many! I was there for hours!
Gorgeous photos. We’ve only ever had a brief visit to Wells on our trip down to Devon but we thought it was a beautiful place and we’d love to go back.
Thank you, ooh well if you come back this way be sure to check it out!
Woah that place is very beautiful.
Sure is! Thanks for commenting!
The architecture of the Bishop’s Palace and Chapel is quite splendid. It looks like a wonderful place to visit for a wedding or fashion photography!
Oooh yes that would be cool, imagine the wedding photos here! That would be ace!
This place looks stunning and so full of culture! It’s sounds like you had a great experience too. I would love to go here and take pictures one day!
Totally, there was so much history it was really interesting. I loved it here 🙂
The palace looks spectacular! I want to go there so bad. Thanks for sharing!
I hope you get to visit! It’s amazing!
Lovely images of Bishops Palace… Thanks for sharing with us…Definitely, Bishops Palace is an amazing place for the visit.
Thank you, I’m glad you enjoyed the pictures and the review!
What a beautiful place, its definitely somewhere we would love to visit!
It’s a delight to wander around, hope you get to visit one day!
Oh wow how beautiful! It really does look stunning, I love Somerset!
Me too, lots to see and do and Bishop’s Palace is just gorgeous!
Wow this looks like it would be a dream spot for an photographer to shoot. I’ll have to recommend this place to some of my overseas friends to check out and see what they are able to capture.
It was so lovely, I can imagine it is very popular with photographers!
Loving the photos. Looks like a really great place to visit.
Thank you, it really was lovely 🙂
WE fell in love with Wells when we visited last year – such a pretty town
So gorgeous and Bishops’s Palace just tops it off!
What a lovely place. I can imagine you taking all these in for hours.
Yes, I was there for quite a while! It was so lush!
I love historic buildings. As you say it’s hard to imagine the life, power and colour that these religious buildings once contained. A fascinating day out.
Me too, it’s hard to imagine but our tour guide Nick had some cool photos of how it might have looked in the past which was interesting.
The Bishop’s Palace and Gardens looks wonderful and it would definitely be worth joining one of the guided palace and chapel tours to get the full history etc. My kids would certainly want to have a go at trying archery and sword fighting!
The tours were brilliant, I’d recommend them to everyone who visits! The sword fighting did look fun, if a little scary!
What an absolutely stunning place to visit. I’ve not been to Somerset for years, but you’ve definitely got me wanting to go back now 🙂
Louise x
It’s just such a lovely county to visit! Glad it’s made you want to go back, thanks for reading!
This is a nice place to visit.
I would like to visit this place someday. <3
I really recommend, hope you get to visit one day 🙂
Whoa! Fantastic place to visit. I would love to go there with my family someday. You had an amazing photos. It looks great on the picture, I’m pretty sure it’s really magnificient to be there too.
Thank you, absolutely, it’s even prettier in person!
This looks like a stunning place to visit on a sunny day, those flowers are beautiful
Aren’t they just! Loved them!
The big question is, what flavour of fudge did you buy?
Apology well and truly accepted for all of the photos! It looks like such a beautiful place 😀 I’m not actually a million miles away from Somerset, as I live in Reading – but yet I’ve never made it there 😥 I will have to go one day, for sure! X
Haha, thank you! I am glad you liked the photos! Oh no, well if you are ever down in Somerset be sure to check Bishop’s Palace out!