[Illustration:  THE PALACE GATEWAY, WELLS]

It is the misfortune, not the fault, of the subordinate churches of a cathedral city that they arouse but a languid interest in the already surfeited sight-seer.  Wells has one other church which merits more than a passing attention.  St Cuthbert’s is a Perp. building of generous dimensions.  It possesses an exceedingly fine tower of the best Somerset type—­massive and graceful—­belonging to the same class as the towers of Wrington and Evercreech, but spoilt by a want of proportion between the upper and lower stages.  The interior of the church is spacious and imposing, and contains a good panelled roof.  The E.E. capitals of the piers and some old roof marks suggest that it was originally an E.E. cruciform fabric, altered by Perp. builders, and heightened by the erection of a clerestory.  There is documentary evidence that a “public collection” was made in 1561 to repair the havoc caused by the collapse of the central tower.  The transeptal chapels were once brilliant with statuary and colour, but the axes and hammers of the image breakers have successfully purged them of their original glory.  All that is left for the admiration of the modern visitor are a few gaping recesses and a pile of gathered fragments.  Note (1) double transepts, (2) oak pulpit, (3) Dec. window with Jesse altar-piece in S. transept, (3) piscinas, in chancel and S. choir aisle, (5) mutilated figure of knight in ruff and armour at E. end of N. aisle, (6) tomb with figure (1614) under tower.  The other antiquities of Wells are (1) Bishop Bubwith’s alms-houses in Chamberlain Street (near St Cuthbert’s Church)—­an eccentric building, containing a number of separate cells, a chapel and a small hall under one roof (note old alms chest in hall, now called the Committee room), (2) some ancient timber-work in the courtyard of the Crown Inn.

Amongst the more interesting walks in the neighbourhood are (1) Arthur’s Point, offering a good view of the Glastonbury plain; (2) Tor and Dulcot hills on the Shepton road; (3) Ebbor rocks near Wookey Hole.

Wembdon, a parish 1 m.  N.W. of Bridgwater, of which it is virtually a suburb.  The church has been restored (after a fire in 1868), and its ancient features have been obliterated.  On the S. of the building is an old cross.

Westbury (stat.  Lodge Hill), a village on the road between Wells and Axbridge, 4 m.  N.W. from the former town.  It has an interesting church (ded. to St Lawrence), with a W. tower of the prevailing Perp. type, but supported on a Norm. arch (the flanking columns do not reach the ground).  There is also a Norm. door on the N. side, now blocked.  In the S. porch note the doors which once led to the parvise or gallery above, and the holy-water stoup.  The E. window is Dec., with the interior arch foliated.  The S. aisle has a small chapel at the E. end, containing a tomb of George Rodney (d. 1586).

Weston, a parish forming a suburb of Bath.  Of its church the only old portion is the tower, with angular buttresses finishing in pinnacles.  The nave was rebuilt in 1832.