Vicar's Close
by Shirley Mitchell
Title
Vicar's Close
Artist
Shirley Mitchell
Medium
Photograph - Photography
Description
Vicar's Close near Wells Cathedral, Somerset, England
In 1348, Bishop Ralph of Shrewbury founded a college so that the Vicars Choral, the singing men of the choir, could live together communally. He provided a hall for meals and each of the 42 vicars with his own small house. These were built on two sides of a quadrangle, with the hall at one end and later, a chapel enclosing the other end. In the 15th century, the houses were given front gardens and the Chain Gate was built to provide a passage from the hall into the cathedral. Vicars’ Close, as the street came to be known, is the only completely medieval street in England.
Uploaded
March 17th, 2018
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