Grade I listed building · Historic England

Chain Gate

On the list as The Chain Gate with Approach Staircase

Listed Grade I since 195373 years · Grade I is the top 2.5% of England’s listed buildings

WWalls & gatesCAWells conservation area1953Listed

About

About Chain Gate

Chain Gate, listed as The Chain Gate with Approach Staircase, is one of 23 Grade I listed buildings in Wells and about 9,341 in England. It was among the first 154 buildings in Wells to be listed, on 12 November 1953, and its entry was last amended on 31 May 2000. It stands in the Wells conservation area, designated in 1970. Within 400 metres are 19 more Grade I buildings and 197 other listed buildings. We have 1 public-domain view of it from before 1950.

HERead the official list entryHistoric England’s description of the building, its history and why it is listed · List entry 1382904↗

Grade I is for buildings of exceptional interest, about 2.5% of all listed buildings in England. Listing protects the whole building, inside and out: changes need listed building consent from the council.

In old photographs

1 old view of Chain Gate

Public domain, made before 1950, from 1893. Tap one to see it full screen.

From Wikimedia Commons (public domain or CC0), copied to our own server; each credit is in the viewer.

Visit

Make it a walk: 5 listed buildings in about 10 minutes

Wells · about 0.3 miles on foot, as the crow flies

12345© OpenStreetMap contributors

Directions Walk the tour in Google Maps

Farther afield

6, High StreetGrade II*0.2mi

8, High StreetGrade II*0.2mi 22 Chamberlain StreetGrade II*0.2mi

Bishop's BarnGrade I0.2mi

St Cuthbert's Lodge and Attached Walls and Gate PiersGrade II*0.3mi

Church of St ThomasGrade II*0.3mi

Around it

29 more listed buildings within 150 metres

Grade I and II* ones open their own page; Grade II ones open the official list entry.

IThe Vicars' Hall Including Number 2812 m IChapter House to Cathedral Church of St Andrew21 m I1, St Andrew Street26 m II*The Music School and Attached Walls45 m ICathedral Church of St Andrew46 m IIBoundary Walls to Tower House57 m II*The Rib61 m II*Tower House64 m IIWells Museum78 m I14-27, Vicars' Close78 m IITriple Lamp Standard Adjacent to Boundary Wall Opposite Wells Museum80 m IBoundary Walls to Numbers 1-1380 m IBoundary Walls to Numbers 14-2783 m IIWater Hydrant Approximately 25 Metres North East of Number 287 m I1-13, Vicars' Close92 m IIFront Boundary Wall West of Number 25 (The Dean's Lodging)103 m IITriple Lamp Standard Approximately 25 Metres to West of South West Tower106 m II4, St Andrew Street112 m

Show the other 11

IGatehouse and South Boundary Wall to the Old Deanery120 m IITrinity Cottage121 m ICloisters to Cathedral Church of St Andrew121 m IIWalls Linking the West Cloister Porch of the Cathedral126 m IOld Deanery Court with Link Wall Along East Side128 m II6, St Andrew Street129 m IIFront Boundary Wall Approximately 13 Metres West of Number 23131 m II*The Dean's Lodging132 m IIBoundary Wall to the South of Number 3 (Polydor House)147 m IINumber 1 with Front Boundary Railings148 m IIFountain Inn149 m

More like it

Grade I walls, gates and bridges near Wells

Within 25 miles, with a photo.

Somerset Rural Life MuseumGlastonbury · 5 mi away

Bow BridgeBruton · 11 mi away

Mells ManorMells · 11 mi away

Lions HouseBridgwater · 17 mi away

No 6 and Attached Wall to the RearBridgwater · 17 mi away

No 9 and Attached Rear Walls and OuthouseBridgwater · 17 mi away

No 16 and Attached Wall to Left ReturnBridgwater · 17 mi away

Bristol Central LibraryBristol · 17 mi away

Questions about Chain Gate

Is Chain Gate listed?

Yes. The Chain Gate with Approach Staircase is listed Grade I on the National Heritage List for England (list entry 1382904), first listed on 12 November 1953.

Can you visit Chain Gate?

It can be seen from the street; whether you can go inside depends on its owner.

Is Chain Gate in a conservation area?

Yes, the Wells conservation area, designated in 1970.

Are there old photos of Chain Gate?

Yes: 1 public-domain view from before 1950, on this page.

© Historic England 2026. Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Check an entry on Historic England’s website before relying on it. Photos: Wikimedia Commons and Geograph, credited above, copied to our own server. Map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Sources: Historic England, National Heritage List for England (listed buildings, scheduled monuments, registered parks and gardens, battlefields, World Heritage Sites), October 2026, inside the ONS 2022 built-up-area boundary · Historic England conservation areas (supplied by local planning authorities; October 2026). All under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.