Traditional county: Somerset · Region: South West
Explore Wells, Somerset with this interactive street and satellite map. You can “grab” the Wells map and move it around to re-centre it. You can change between standard map view and satellite map view by clicking the small square in the bottom left-hand corner of the map. You can use the zoom buttons on the lower right side of the map to zoom in or out to street-level detail.
This page also offers OS MAPS — Ordnance Survey Outdoor mapping and the OS Explorer 1:25 000 sheets — plus a labelled National Grid overlay, a distance and bearing tool, and a GPS grid reference readout. See How to Use This Map below. You will find live weather, local and world news further down the page.
This interactive map shows the street layout and satellite imagery for Wells, Somerset, England. Use the Map and Satellite buttons above to switch between street map and aerial imagery views. Use the + and − buttons to zoom in or out, or scroll your mouse wheel while holding the Control key to zoom. On a touchscreen, use a two-finger pinch gesture to zoom in and out.
Click ⛶ Fullscreen to expand the map to fill your screen for a larger view. To return to the normal page view, press the Escape key on your keyboard, click the ✕ Exit Fullscreen button that appears above the map, or on a mobile device tap the back button (Android) or the close icon (iOS).
Drag the map to pan to any area of Somerset or beyond. Switch to Satellite view to see high-resolution aerial photography of Wells and surrounding areas, including streets, buildings, parks and waterways.
OS MAPS — NEW. Click the green 🔍 Search Maps button below the map to open a second map with a Base map row. OSM is the standard OpenStreetMap street map. Topo shows OS Outdoor mapping — contours, footpaths, bridleways and access land. Explorer 1:25k shows the OS Explorer sheets themselves: the orange-covered 1:25 000 maps walkers, fell runners and mountain rescue teams use, with field boundaries, rights of way and open access land. The search box finds any British town, village or landmark by name, so you are not limited to Wells.
Reading the map like a paper Explorer sheet. Click Grid to overlay the OS National Grid, labelled along the edges exactly as a printed sheet is — at normal zoom the squares are one kilometre across, so you can read a six-figure grid reference such as NY 266 234 by eye and judge distance directly off the map. Click Measure, then tap two points, to get the distance between them together with the grid bearing in degrees and mils, the true bearing, and the magnetic bearing to set on a compass.
Click 📍 My position to take a single GPS reading from your device. It marks where you are and reports your position as an OS National Grid reference as well as plain latitude and longitude — the grid reference being what mountain rescue and the coastguard work from — with a Copy position button so you can paste it straight into a text message. It takes one reading and stops, rather than tracking continuously, to conserve your battery. Note that map tiles need mobile coverage, but a GPS reading does not — your grid reference stays correct even where the map itself cannot load, which in the Lakes, the Dales and the Highlands is often exactly where you need it.
Map search is available for a limited number of queries per session to manage costs. Be specific — search precisely for best results.
| Place | Wells |
| Traditional County | Somerset |
| Region | South West |
| Country | England, United Kingdom |
| Latitude | 51.208643 |
| Longitude | -2.647166 |
| Place Type | City |
Wells commands a singular presence at the foot of the Mendip Hills, where the limestone springs that gave the place its name bubble forth to feed the moats and pools of a landscape defined by water and gravity. The light here possesses a peculiar, pearlescent quality, reflecting off the grey carboniferous stone as if the very air were dampened by the proximity of the subterranean rivers below. Beyond the ancient, weathered masonry of Browne's Gate, the geography transitions from the sudden rise of the hills into the verdant, flat expanses of the Somerset Levels, creating a dramatic contrast between the sharp elevation of the north and the horizon-stretching plains of the south. This orientation gives Wells the feeling of a threshold, a place where the wild, rocky spine of the county descends to meet the pastoral calm of the lowlands. History in Wells is not a static relic but a continuous exertion of ecclesiastical and civic ambition that has long dictated the local economy. For centuries, the wealth of the region was tied to the wool trade and the agricultural bounty of the surrounding marshlands, while today the economy draws sustenance from the steady influx of visitors and the administrative needs of the surrounding countryside. The Bishop's Palace, with its formidable moat and the haunting, skeletal beauty of its ruined portions, stands as an enduring emblem of the temporal power that once governed these streets. Employment remains varied, shifting from the traditional craft of the market square to the modern requirements of education and tourism, yet the pulse of Wells remains tethered to the rhythm of its ancient thoroughfares, where the stone itself seems to hold the memory of countless trade days and seasonal harvests. Cultural life in Wells revolves around the gravity of its architecture and the enduring weight of its traditions, most notably the towering, Gothic majesty of the Cathedral, whose west front is a masterclass in medieval sculpture. The expansive, verdant stretch of Cathedral Green serves as the lungs of the centre, a space where the roar of modern life is muted by the sheer scale of the ecclesiastical stone. The city has long invited a certain contemplative spirit, attracting artists and writers who find inspiration in the meticulous stonework and the quietude of the Bishop's Palace gardens. While Wells is not a place of clamorous stadiums or professional leagues, it possesses an internal life shaped by its schools and the lingering influence of figures like the poet and novelist John Cowper Powys, who walked these same paths. Annual events, such as the vibrant displays of the local carnival, ignite the streets with a sudden, brilliant intensity, proving that the quietude of the stone is merely a backdrop for a persistent and creative human energy.
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Explore Wells, Somerset, with an embedded street and satellite map - switch between views using the small square in the bottom left-hand corner of the map. Coordinates: 51.208643, -2.647166. Live weather conditions and 7-day forecasts are provided through Open-Meteo, while real-time local and world news feeds help keep the page current. Wikipedia and editorial summaries provide additional local information and context.
Search Maps opens a second, independent map. It searches OpenStreetMap for any British town, village or landmark by name; offers OS Outdoor and the OS Explorer 1:25 000 sheets as base layers; overlays a labelled OS National Grid so the map can be read like a printed Explorer sheet; measures distance and grid, true and magnetic bearings between any two points; and takes a single GPS fix reporting your position as an OS National Grid reference and as latitude and longitude. Map tiles require mobile coverage, but a GPS position does not, so the grid reference remains correct even where the map cannot load.
Location data is sourced from OS Open Names © Crown copyright and database rights 2024, Ordnance Survey, Open Government Licence v3.0, and verified by coordinates.
| Page built | September 2026 |
| Location data | OS Open Names © Crown copyright and database rights 2024. Ordnance Survey. Open Government Licence v3.0. |
| Map layers | Google Maps; © OpenStreetMap contributors; OS Outdoor and OS Explorer 1:25 000 via the OS Maps API — contains OS data © Crown copyright and database rights; magnetic declination from NOAA NCEI (World Magnetic Model) |
| County data | Traditional county boundaries. Modern unitary authority: OS Open Names / ONS Geography. |
| Coordinates | WGS84 decimal degrees derived from OS National Grid (OSGB36) |
| Wikipedia validation | Article content matched by Wikipedia category membership (e.g. “Villages in Derbyshire”) and name verification against OS Open Names data. |