Wells, Cathedral West Front c.1950

Photo ref: W47011

More about this scene

The statues are badly worn by the strong westerly winds (which give the name of 'kill canon corner' to the north-west corner); they were also damaged by the 17th-century iconoclasts, who tried to set fire to the cathedral and destroy the images. The faces on the statues, probably the portraits of local inhabitants, were meticulously painted, despite the fact that the artists and sculptors knew they were not visible from below. One of the knights has bright blue eyes inside his helmet - a shock for the unsuspecting restorer on the scaffolding, peering in! David Wynne sculpted the new statue of Christ in Glory with two seraphim at the top of the west front in 1985 - only the knees of the original remained. It was unveiled in 1986 by the Prince of Wales, patron of the cathedral restoration fund. This view shows the entrance to the cloisters, now housing the gift shop and cloister restaurant. The letter box beneath the lamp post has gone. The sign on the far right of the picture directs visitors to Wells Museum on the left.

An extract from Wells Photographic Memories.