We had an overnight stop at Wakefield on the way back up from Bath so that we could go to The Hepworth Wakefield. It was built in commemoration of artist/sculptor Barbara Hepworth who was born in the town. As well as many of her works it now houses the municipal art collection started in 1923.

The building stands by the River Calder and was designed by British architect David Chipperfield.

From over River Calder:-

From walkway over the river:-

Entrance and rear:-

I took a video of the weir from the main road bridge:-

Previously in Alcester I’d only seen one decoish building. This time round we stayed at a different hotel a bit out of the town centre in a direction we hadn’t taken before.

As a result I came across two more.

St Benedict’s Catholic High School. Curved wall and glass bricks.:-

Just over the road really was this one. The Greig Hall and Leisure Centre. Note circular entrance building with porthole windows:-

The previous three times we visited Alcester I had noticed this hall sited beyond the church but hadn’t looked at the plaque on its wall.

It was purchased from the owner and rededicated as a War Memorial in 1919:-

I haven’t done one of these posts featuring postcards from the Empire Exhibition 1938 in a while. The tower was officially known as The Tower of Empire but was dubbed Tait’s Tower after its architect.

A colourised photo of The North Cascade and Tower by Night at the Empire Exhibition 1938:-

Black and White Photo Postcard, North Cascade and Tower:-

A Fountain and Tait’s Tower, Empire Exhibition 1938, with Palace of Engineering:-

Only minor deco but a bit surprising to see any at all.

The stand out was Boots. The tiles are classic deco:-

Earthfare has rule of three in upper windows which are possibly Critall. I suspect this is a former Woolworths:-

Children’s Hospice South West is very minor deco:-

Not the music festival, the town.

On leaving Wells we saw a sign that said Glastonbury 8. We thought if we’re so close we might as well have a look.

We pulled up outside a bookshop.  Sadly it was full of Tarot, mysticism, incense and all sorts of woo.

The whole town was a bit like that.

There was some nice old architecture. This is now a pub, though:-

The sign says Galstonbury Tribunal but this is very old:-

This is now Nationwide:-

More old architecture, unusual style to left, too:-

Again old, but now the town’s Post Office:-

Where we parked in Wells was near to a junction beyond which this brick building stood. Premises of R Tincknell and Son Limited:-

Behind the archway which I pictured in the first of my posts about Wells in Somerset is a grassed area which lies in front of the part-moated Bishop’s Palace:-

Environs:-

There was an interesting carving on this wall of the Palaec:-

Cloister:-

Mosaic floor:-

Transepts:-

Stalls in choir:-

The font, much altered and moved from its original location:-

The Star. Artwork representing the Star of Bethlehem:-

The Lady Chapel. Much of the glass was reconstructed kaleidoscopically after being smashed by Puritan soldiers in the seventeenth century:-

Clock. Thought to be the second oldest working clock in the world:-

Information about the clock:-

Door and stained glass windows:-

Clerestory:-

Clerestory and stained glass:-

Organ pipes:-