The view of the English countryside during my 90 minute bus ride from Bath to Wells—with frost outlining the shingles on stone cottages and sheep finding patches of the rising sun to stand in—distracted me from an increasingly desperate need to pee.

Fortunately, Wells Cathedral (and its restroom) was close to the bus stop.

Like most cathedrals, it was under construction for a long time: begun in the late 12th century and finished in the late 15th century.

I understand that Wells is west England, but the cathedral’s exterior looks French Gothic to me, with all those slender lines and statues.

I take that back: had this cathedral actually been French Gothic the statues would be more interesting.

No, the interesting part of Wells Cathedral isn’t on the outside, it’s the…

GAHHHHHHHHHHH WONKY SCISSORS ARCHES!!!!!!

What’s up with the wonky scissors arches? Well, in the mid 14th century, a couple of the piers under the main tower started to sink and—uh oh—a big crack on the ceiling meant that the tower could start tumbling down any second. Not to worry, the awesomely-named architect William Joy came up with this solution: scissors arches to redistribute the strain from the weight of the tower.

The wonky scissors arches make Wells Cathedral dynamic. I especially like how the arches frame the churches and aisles.

Alright, back to some generic Gothic arches.

Up a flight of worn stairs (which were particularly complicated to navigate with my vestibular disorder) to the 13th century Chapter House.

I heard that the evensong service in this choir is quite lovely.

The grotesque faces and fanciful carvings around the church ranged from Romanesque-ish to classic Gothic. I was most impressed with the fine capital carvings.

A pop out into the cloister before leaving.

Outside the cathedral, I walked through Vicar’s Close, which is the oldest continually occupied street in Europe.

The houses are 14th century.

If I ever return to Wells, I’d like to stay at this hotel across from the cathedral.

Normally I’d have eaten a picnic at the cathedral, of course, but I was worried about catching the bus so I looked for something to eat on the way to the bus station. A baker in a quaint, homey little shop was just putting out a tray of pies fresh from oven, so I bought one. In any other country, this would have been a scrumptious delicacy, but the texture and taste of this pie had me humming along with Angela Lansbury in Sweeney Todd.

For me, there is nothing so uniquely compelling as a cathedral town. I’ve always relished a full day in one; waking up to the cathedral in the morning light, leisurely looking around inside, picnicking on a well-placed bench on the cathedral lawn, and finally a sunset stroll around the town, orbiting around the church. I didn’t have enough time on my trip to England for a full day in Wells, but in a way the experience of arriving in a morning bus and departing in the waning light of a short January afternoon was also a satisfying experience. On the bus ride back, I had the front seat on the top of the double deck bus which opened up a panorama of the Wells town and the neat walled in gardens of the stone houses.

How I got to Wells: bus from Bath.

Where I slept: Premier Inn Bath City Centre.  Price: £72 for a single.  Recommended: yes.