Bucketloads of character; WELLS: England's smallest city is perfect for a festive get-away.

Byline: By Jasbir Authi

THE panic began when I saw my first packet of mince pies on a supermarket shelf way back in August.

Despite being a third of a year away, the spectre of arguments, hydrogenated foods, awful TV and garish presents during the festive season flooded my mind.

I was looking for a stress-free escape which still invoked the spirit of old Christmas with mulled wine, log fires, good food and peace, without boarding a plane to Lapland.

After a two-and-a-half hour journey down the M5, I checked into the Swan Hotel in Wells, the smallest city in England.

The hotel belongs to the Best Western chain but the uniformity one would expect from a chain ends there.

The Swan is a gorgeously romantic and charming 15th Century former coaching inn which featured in the hit film Hot Fuzz.

My cosy room with its period four-poster bed with handmade heavy curtains, and creaky exposed beams was so dreamy I imagined management have had to turf out dozens of previous guests who have tried to claim squatter's rights.

Downstairs in the lounge, I enjoyed pre-dinner drinks and glanced over papers in front of the roaring open fire before dinner.

That evening, I ate a hearty meal courtesy of head chef Paul Mingo-West in the intimate restaurant before retiring back to the fire. Bliss.

After one of the deepest sleeps I have enjoyed this year, I set about enjoying the sights of Wells.

The hotel is situated in front of the Cathedral. To your left is Vicar's Close while the moated Bishop's Palace and Gardens is a stone's throw away through the marketplace to your right.

One of the year-round Wednesday and Saturday markets were in full swing and enticing people with locally sourced meats, fruits, vegetables and a wide variety of non-edible goods.

A tour of the Bishop's Palace is the ideal place to start exploring this tiny city.

Michael, our guide, showed us the beautiful sculptured gardens and the Great Hall - where successive Bishops of Bath and Wells would entertain - once stood.

My favourite spot was St Andrews Well where swans glide through the reeds as water is gently pumped from the Mendip Hills at 40 gallons per second.

After my tour, I bought lunch from the bustling market and ate it outside the Crown at Wells pub which also featured in Hot Fuzz.

A short walk from the Bishop's Palace is the Cathedral, which was built in the 11th Century by a French clergyman.

According to our bubbly guide Elsa, the exterior of Wells Cathedral once had the largest number of statues of any building in the UK.

Unfortunately, they were not attached and many of them were either stolen, vandalised or have eroded through the ages.

One of the most striking aspects of the Cathedral is the height and width of the beams leading up to the roof which are intended to resemble trees in a forest.

So forget the brandy; a short stay in Wells is the perfect tonic for getting through a modern Christmas.

Getting there

To book the Best Western Swan Hotel, Sadler Street, Wells, Somerset, call 01749 836300 or log on to www.swanhotelwells.co.uk

Have YOU been to Wells?

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CAPTION(S):

JOKERS... Nick Frost and Simon Pegg in Hot Fuzz, filmed in Wells.; CHARMING... The Swan Hotel in Wells is next to the sights.; IMPOSING... take a tour of the 11th Century Wells Cathedral.