Confirmed · Somerset · Attraction

The Bishop’s Palace

Mary’s audience with Henry and Norfolk’s estate in The Mirror and the Light in Wolf Hall. Tickets needed; allow allow 1–2 hours.

On screen as: Mary’s audience with Henry and Norfolk’s estate in The Mirror and the Light
Series and episodes: The Mirror and the Light (2024) · Episode 2 · Episode 3
Access: Tickets needed
Time needed: Allow 1–2 hours
Where: Wells, Somerset

On screen

How The Bishop’s Palace appears

The Bishop’s Palace in Wells provides two separately identified moments in the second series. PBS places Mary’s return to the king in episode two here, and identifies a vaulted space with Norfolk’s argument with Cromwell in episode three. The screen action moves between royal and aristocratic settings, but the filming site is a bishop’s residence in Somerset. Neither credit means the whole building becomes Whitehall. Follow the named scene evidence rather than assuming every neighbouring palace room appears in the programme.

The real place

What you can visit

The visitor offer combines the palace’s public rooms with gardens enclosed by a moat and walls. It is a separate attraction from the cathedral, even though the two sit very close together. Give the gardens a proper walk and allow for surfaces that change from stone to gravel and grass. The bishop’s working and domestic areas are separate from the visitor circuit. Tickets, events and seasonal hours are published by the palace; a filming connection is not permission to enter closed rooms.

Keep children away from the moat edge and follow any temporary one-way route through the rooms.

PBS Masterpiece ↗

Getting there.

From Wells bus station, allow about ten to fifteen minutes on foot through the centre to the palace entrance. There is no Wells railway station; use an onward bus from Bath or Bristol, or a taxi from Castle Cary. Drivers use city car parks, with a final walk through the market area. Palace and garden opening varies seasonally and event admission can differ.

Official visitor information ↗Open in Google Maps ↗Read the visiting guide →

Common questions

Planning a responsible visit

What does The Bishop’s Palace play in Wolf Hall?

The Bishop’s Palace supplies Mary’s audience with Henry and Norfolk’s estate in The Mirror and the Light. This page keeps its real visitor setting in Wells, Somerset separate from the story’s geography.

How should I arrive?

Use a bus into Wells or a pre-arranged taxi from a rail gateway such as Castle Cary. Central parking leaves a final walk through the city; allow time for the palace’s seasonal admission arrangements.

What can I see on a visit?

The public palace rooms and enclosed gardens are separate from the bishop’s working and domestic areas. Grounds include varied surfaces, so give the gardens time and follow the available circuit rather than seeking closed filming rooms.

Plan your visit