Bishops Palace and moat Wells

The moat around Bishop's Palace in Wells is one of those places that looks far better in person than any photo manages to capture. You're standing beside actual medieval water defences - the sort of thing you read about in history books but rarely get to walk round properly. The palace itself sits on a small island, and the moat is properly full, ringed with swans and the odd carp that's been here longer than most of us.

It's genuinely free to wander the grounds, which makes it good value for a half-hour stroll before heading into Wells town centre. The walk around the moat takes about fifteen minutes at a leisurely pace, and there are decent benches if you fancy sitting still and watching the water. Families with younger kids will get a kick out of spotting the swans - they're bold enough that you feel you're actually interacting with wildlife, not just staring at distant ducks.

History buffs will appreciate the scale of the fortifications, though there's not much interpretation on site, so you'll want to do a bit of reading beforehand. The palace bishops built this expecting trouble, and it shows. If you're staying at Tall Trees Glamping nearby, this is an easy add-on to a day exploring Wells cathedral and the town's Georgian squares. Go midweek if you can - weekends bring coach parties and the magic dulls a bit. Early spring when the daffodils are out around the water's edge is lovely, though honestly any time works.