Wells' Secret Entrance: Blessed by Bishops, Haunted by Legend

Built around 1450 by Bishop Thomas Beckington, Wells’ Penniless Porch stands at the heart of a walled precinct in the English city of Wells, Somerset. This Grade I listed gateway opens onto a complex of twelfth-century structures, including the cathedral, the Bishop’s Palace, Vicar’s Close, and the residences of the clergy who serve the cathedral. On the cathedral side, the Penniless Porch bears the rebus or badge of Bishop Thomas Beckington, a hint at its history.

The first floor room still has seventeenth-century panelling. J.M.W. Turner painted the gate in 1796. As for its name, the local legend says it was named for the beggars who **found refuge** beneath its arches, not 'plied their trade'.

However, the porch's days of housing beggars are long over.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons