The Market Place at the centre of Wells is a wide medieval square ringed by Georgian and Tudor buildings, with the cathedral towers visible above the roofline. A market has been held here since 1201; the Wednesday and Saturday markets continue today and are among the oldest continuously operating markets in Somerset.
The square itself is pleasant to sit in, with the Fountain, an ornate Victorian drinking fountain, at the centre. The surrounding buildings include the Crown Hotel, a 15th-century coaching inn, and various shops and cafes that make the Market Place a natural gathering point for the town. The gateway to the cathedral close — Penniless Porch, through which beggars once asked alms of churchgoers — opens directly onto the north side of the square.
On market days local producers set up alongside general traders; the cheese stalls and Somerset cider vendors are worth investigating. The Saturday market is the larger of the two.