I do not understand the physics behind cathedrals

 I do not think one could ELI5 (explain like I'm 5) enough what black magic goes on behind the physics within a large cathedral like the one in Wells. As far as I'm concerned it is sorcery in the guise of maths ¹. 

Bob and Libby are standing by the middle doors

Today we went to Wells Cathedral within the city of Wells about an hour and change southwest of Bath. The ride there was something else. We took a double-decker bus (not the kind you're thinking) and there were times--I kid you not--I felt like I was in some amusement park ride. We chose to sit on the second level in the very front. I figured we'd get a great view from that vantage. What I didn't expect was for the means of conveyance to result in so much entertainment as we zoomed through the country side, and "roads" the bus has no business attempting. The folks here are a different sort. They put up up with so much trouble as a result of the types of vehicles they choose to take down these so called "roads" it's nothing short of insanity. What you end up with is the bus running at a good clip into tree branches scaring you half to death, you feeling like the bus is going to run into everything (because you can't see the road near the end of the bus despite being at the very front), and standoffs between drivers as well as witnessing drivers being very congenial with each other given the circumstance. One time we turned a corner onto a road the bus itself could barely seem to fit on only to be met by the same bus going towards us. Luckily, we were close to the intersection and could back up enough for the bus coming up the hill to get by. 

We arrived and found our way onto the green in front of this monumental building. What's so unique--well, one factoid that makes this cathedral so unique--is the number of statues on the west facade of the building. It originally had over 400 statues. All brightly colored along with the rest of the building (originally). Now there are a bit over 200 remaining after some were prized off and others merely succumb to the elements.

Standing in awe of the enormous thing we took a few pictures and went in. A mostly pleasant piano and flute duet greeted us upon entrance into the nave of the cathedral. Wells has one of the oldest and more prestigious music schools in Britain. The others are in London and the other is in we-can't-remember-where-so-don't-ask. I'm sure they're great.  

See Tommy?

Anyway, we explored a bit (some more quickly than others), and finally came our "High Places" tour where we would be let into the behind the scenes area of the cathedral above the nave. 

The tour guides explained to us that the original church for the laity was off near some tree near by that we could see (pointing vaguely), and that this church was a minster and therefore only available to the laity five days a year and on all other days was meant solely for priests. That is until it was decided that the diocese of Sherborne was tool large and was therefore spun off (to use a modern term) into it's own with Æthelhelm becoming its first bishop in 909. 

These amazing scissor arches were added about 100 years after the cathedral was finished. The central tower added so much weight and pressure that it was starting to lean, so they engineered these scissor arches were constructed in the year 1338 to add support for the tower. You can see the cracks in these pictures from our High Places tour, they filled in the cracks with mortar mixed with soot so they could tell if the tower was shifting. Now they use lasers to measure. But all the dark/black lines in these two pictures are cracks in the tower walls.

Since Tommy has gone off the rails, I'll continue. One of my favorite parts of Wells Cathedral is the Chapter House and the stairs leading up to the Chapter House

The Chapter House is huge and smells like fresh, cold stone. It's hard to describe but it's one of my favorite smells.

We had lunch in the Cathedral cafe, I had a ham and cheese "toastie" and a slice of Victoria Sponge. So good!

Our second exploration was next door to the cathedral, The Bishop's Palace. This is where the bishop of Bath and Wells resides. The grounds and gardens are spectacular. 

Thank you for coming to Tommy's Ted Talk! Until tomorrow!