Wells Cathedral

Although monastic life had early been associated with vows of poverty and , during the Dark Ages, the lives of many monks had been isolated and close to starvation, this was no longer the case in many of the later medieval communities. The canons of several foundations, when unable to attend the cathedral, had since the thirteenth century appointed substitutes, or vicars, to carry out their duties. At Wells, they built houses for the vicars who were required to attend daily Masses and other church services.