Ten Cub Scouts, a young leader, and three leaders from 1st Midsomer Norton B Pack visited Wells Cathedral recently as part of their World Faiths badge.
The Cubs were met by two guides, who took them around the Cathedral. The Cubs learned about all the different parts of the Cathedral, including the ‘jumbled’ windows in the Lady Chapel. They learned that these windows were very unusual and had been destroyed in the English Civil War, but restored in a jumble several hundred years later.
During the tour around the Cathedral, the Cubs saw many unique artefacts and learned about the Cope Chest, which is nearly 900 years old and still used to store the Bishop’s robes today.
They also saw many of the Bishops’ tombs, including the tomb of Bishop Thomas Beckington, which shows a lifelike representation of the Bishop above a representation of a slightly gruesome decaying body on the lower half of the tomb. The Cubs learned that this was to remind people who saw the tomb that Bishops were like everyone else in the end.
Some lucky youngsters got to visit the ancient Cathedral Library and were shown the chained books and some of the ancient manuscripts on display. One of the best parts of the tour was the visit to the Chapter House. The Cubs soon learned that the acoustics in the room are fantastic!
The sun shone on the day so everyone enjoyed a picnic lunch on the Cathedral Green. After the lunch, the Cubs visited the world-renowned Vicars’ Close and then had a walk around the Bishop’s Palace. Lots of fun was had by all and even the leaders learned new things about the Cathedral. One cub, Ollie, aged 9, said: “I’ve learned a lot of new things about the Cathedral and it’s been fun. I really enjoyed watching the clock chime.”