The Bishop's Palace and Gardens

Construction began around 1210 by Bishop Jocelin of Wells but principally dates from 1230. Bishop Jocelin continued the cathedral building campaign begun by Bishop Reginald Fitz Jocelin, and was responsible for building the Bishop's Palace, as well as the choristers' school, a grammar school, a hospital (or perhaps hostel) for travellers and a chapel within the liberty of the cathedral. He also built a manor house at Wookey, near Wells. The chapel and great hall were built between 1275 and 1292 for Bishop Robert Burnell. In the 14th century, Bishop Ralph of Shrewsbury continued the building. He had an uneasy relationship with the citizens of Wells, partly because of his imposition of taxes,…

in 1733, showing the wall and moat. The Bishop's Palace is to the left, with the chapel to the right of it and the Great Hall, centre.]]

One of the two surviving Glastonbury chairs is on display in the palace. It was made in Britain from a description brought back from Rome in 1504 by Abbot Richard Beere to Glastonbury Abbey, and was produced for or by John Arthur Thorne, a monk who was the treasurer at the abbey. Arthur perished on Glastonbury Tor in 1539, hanged, drawn and quartered alongside his master, Richard Whiting, the last Abbot of Glastonbury, during the Dissolution of the Monasteries. The Abbot sat on a Glastonbury chair of this type during his trial at the Bishop's Palace. Other chairs of this age and later reproductions can also be seen.

The palace now belongs to the Church Commissioners and is managed and run by The Palace Trust. The main palace is open to the public, including the medieval vaulted undercroft, chapel and a long gallery, although the Bishop's House is still used as a residence and offices. There is a café overlooking the Croquet Lawn. The palace is licensed for weddings and used for conferences and meetings. The croquet lawn in front of the palace is used on a regular basis. The palace was used as a location for some of the scenes in the 2007 British comedy film Hot Fuzz, and more recently in the 2016 film The Huntsman. Other productions that used this location in 2015-2016 included Galavant, Terry and…