Wells, Norfolk

Description
Wells (sometimes called Wells-next-the Sea to distinguish it from Wells in Somerset), a seaport town and a parish in Norfolk. The town stands on a creek, with a station on the G.E.R., 118 miles from London, and 5 N of Walsingham. It has a post, money order, and telegraph office (R.S.O.) The parish comprises 2658 acres; population, 2555. Wells was known at Domesday as Guella, and consists chiefly of two streets. There are two banks, several good hotels, assembly-rooms, a coastguard station, an endowed school, reading-rooms, breweries, malt-houses, rope-works, machine-works, corn-mills, shipbuilding yards, a fair on Shrove Tuesday, and is governed by an urban district council. The boating and bathing facilities are excellent, and the drives in the neighbourhood are very attractive. The creek on which it stands has a winding course of about 2 miles, through salt marshes to the sea, the tide rises in the harbour 21 feet, and the quay, which was allowed to fall into ruins, has been rebuilt. Fishing is carried on to a considerable extent, oysters and mussels are largely taken, and a commerce exists in rape-seed, linseed, corn, coals, timber, and salt. The old church of St Nicholas was almost entirely destroyed by fire in 1879, but has since been completely restored or rebuilt on the former plan, at a cost of £7000, the old stones as far as possible being used again. The living is a rectory in the diocese of Norwich; net value, £500 with residence. There are Wesleyan, Congregational, and Primitive Methodist chapels.