Stories & Anecdotes

There are stories and anecdotes relating to The Bishop’s Palace & Gardens elsewhere in this website, but as we hear of new ones we will be adding to this section. So, let Siobhan know if you have anything to put into this section of the site.

Swan Bell Ringing

There are different accounts of which bishop’s daughter first taught the swans to ring a bell for food. This document is a compilation of ‘evidence’ and we are now choosing to say that this evidence points to the swans being first trained in Bishop Eden’s time. It is quite possible that Bishop Hervey’s daughters also trained the swans to ring the bell as there may have been a new pair on the moat in his time as bishop. Please let us know if you ever come across more historical information relating to the swans that would be helpful.

And here are some interesting stories about the swans, taken from Wells Journal dating back to 1858 – good subject matter for guided tours!