Bell-ringing swans move into moat at The Bishop’s Palace in Wells

The Bishop of Taunton has blessed two swans which are the new bellringers at a medieval palace.

The Bishop’s Palace in Wells, one of the town's top attractions, welcomed the pair this week.

Set in 14 acres of gardens, the palace is reached via an ancient drawbridge and a stunning moat lines its perimeter.

But another highlight for visitors is the resident mute swans.

The quirky tradition began in the 1870s when the daughter of the then Bishop of Bath and Wells, John Hervey, trained swans to ring a bell in the moat's gatehouse when they wanted to be fed.

In October, Wynn, the brave widow who outlived her much-loved lifelong mate Bryn, and raised her final brood at the palace, took flight along with her cygnets.

Wynn returned briefly in January - tragically in order to check that Bryn hadn’t returned - and then flew off again in search of a swan community to enjoy her old age.

Palace staff were keen to find a new duo, in order to keep up the centuries-old tradition of bell-ringing swans on the moat.

The new pair were introduced to the palace by the charity Swan Rescue South Wales, which thought that the palace moat would be their perfect home.

Previously residing in Droitwich, the unnamed pair were living in a home which had turned out not to be suitable for their needs.

But the palace moat, with its large expanse of water and plentiful supply of food, should prove an ideal location.

It is thought that they are a breeding pair, so palace employees are hopeful they may see fluffy cygnets on the moat again in due course.

Moira Anderson, whose role includes looking after the swans, said: “I am so looking forward to getting to know this lovely pair of swans and helping them to get comfortable in their new home.

"I will be teaching them to use the famous swan bell and ask the public to bear with us while training is taking place!”.

The Bishop’s Palace is taking the opportunity to add an extra swan bell on the other side of the medieval gatehouse, so that visitors can have better visibility of the historic tradition, as the original bell can be obscured by trees at certain times of the year.

The swans were officially welcomed to the moat by the Bishop of Taunton, Ruth Worsley, who said a special swan blessing as they were released onto the water.

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