If you wanted more picture postcard England, then Mells in Somerset is it. Straight out of ‘Midsomer Murders’, this impossibly bucolic village oozes the very essence of Englishness (without the murders of course). The lush hedgerows heave with earthy Cow Parsley, beaming Yellow Gorse, pale pink Dog Rose, towering Foxgloves and the heady early summer fragrance of Honeysuckle and Jasmin permeate the air at dusk. The first swallows of summer squeal and dart overhead, promising warmer days and evening sunshine till late. Horse Chestnuts are in full Springtime bloom with large white fringed flowers, flush with pink against their giant distinctive leaves, with some of them towering to 30 or 40 metres, often living for centuries. These English icons are the trees of our childhood where glossy reddish brown conkers form inside spiky green husks in Autumn and, once knocked out of the tree, become the legendary battle-weary conkers of our dreams. My goal as a youngster was to have a sixer or, ‘in my dreams’ an eighter or even a tenner, but as luck would have it, most of my conkers were mere one-er’s. A dismal affair…

We’re here in Mells to see great friends, J&R who live in a quintessentially ‘Chocolate Box’ cottage in the heart of the village – surrounded by 15^th century honey-coloured hamstone cottages, ancient walled gardens, the imposing 17^th century Mells Manor (a private estate) and, our lodging for the night, the Talbot Inn, a traditional trading inn dating back to 1470. It feels every inch 15^thCentury, with low wooden gnarled beams, spooky crooked narrow passageways and cobbled stone courtyards. It’s not hard to imagine being transported back in time and, thanks to some ChatGPT trickery, it’s easily done! Oh, and by the way, one of the best breakfast spreads (complimentary) that you’ll ever experience! 

To top off our stay in Mells J&R took us to their extraordinarily luxury country club, Babington House, part of the Soho House Group. We’ve previously stayed in Soho House in London and had heard about this place, but seeing is believing! What an extraordinary set up. https://www.sohohouse.com/houses/babington-house

The drive up to Wells takes in even more sublime English countryside, rolling green hills and impossibly beautiful ancient hamlets – and then, out of seemingly nowhere, appears this giant of a structure. Wells Cathedral. It’s considered a masterpiece of Early English Gothic architecture, built between 1175 and 1490. It’s a massive blocky ornate building that dominates the landscape here for miles around, soaring 50 metres – not large compared to the Gothic Cathedrals of France, but due to the flat landscape here it appears huge. As you approach the Cathedral from the west, there are some 300 original medieval statues still in place. A clock in the interior was made in about 1390, making it the oldest clock face in the world. But what stands out once inside this magnificent soaring interior are the stained-glass windows. The 14^th Century Jesse Window is one of the most splendid examples of stained glass anywhere in Europe. Erected in 1340, it famously survived the English Civil War, when many Cathedrals and Churches throughout England were ransacked and destroyed, so what we see today is how the medieval glaziers intended. A true masterpiece. 

The ecclesiastical smells and scents of an old Cathedral such as Wells create a rich ancient atmosphere – polished antique wood, melting beeswax, burning Frankincense and Myrrh and cold damp stone floors – all designed to elevate the senses and purify the space. It’s a magical aroma that easily transports you back to another time. No wonder then that Wolf Hall was partly filmed in this place. 

Beside the Cathedral is the Vicar’s Close, an extraordinary medieval street, dating back to 1348, making it the oldest street in Europe that’s still serving its original purpose. It housed the adult members of the Cathedral Choir, as it still does today. Sadly (for us), we visited this place during the extensive and ambitious restoration of 27 historic houses, the Vicars Hall, the medieval kitchen and the Treasury block, so this ancient scene was marred by scaffolding. The restoration is estimated to be costing in excess of £70 million and will take approximately 4 years to complete, but it’ll be a stunning achievement to bring this ancient street back to its former glory.