Wells Cathedral interior nave looking east

Photographer

De Smet, Arthur

Date

• ca. 1972-ca. 2018

Summary

• Unlike the typical verticality of the architecture in Gothic churches, Wells has a strongly horizontal quality created by a continuous line of the arcade, the triforium and string course between them. The huge strainer arches at the end of the nave were placed in 1338 to support the Perpendicular crossing tower of 1315-22. The quadripartite vaulting arises from vaulting shafts supported by corbels in the spandrels of the triforium arches.