Wells has boats, beasts, Palace evenings and family activities lined up across the August Bank Holiday

What's On Wells is sponsored by Wells Festival of Literature, celebrating the written word in the heart of Wells. The festival returns to Cedars Hall from 16 to 24 October 2026, with another programme bringing writers, readers and ideas together.

Wells is not exactly easing quietly into the Bank Holiday. The Bishop's Palace has its final summer late opening on Friday, medieval re-enactment is on the weekend calendar, Mythical Creatures continues at Wells Cathedral and Monday brings the Wells Moat Boat Race back to the moat. Add ongoing Palace family activities, choir sessions and the Secret Supper Club to the wider diary and there is not much danger of August slipping away unnoticed.

At Wells Cathedral, Mythical Creatures continues until Tuesday, 1 September. The interactive family trail runs from 9am until 4.30pm and invites visitors to search for dragons, griffins and other legendary creatures inspired by stories from the Cathedral's medieval library. Entry is included with standard admission or a valid admission pass. If the children have reached the stage of the holidays where only mythical beasts will do, Wells Cathedral has clearly read the room.

At The Bishop's Palace, School Summer Holidays at The Bishop's Palace continues until Wednesday, 2 September. The summer programme includes the Splash Play Zone, a family trail, crafting workshops and the Cabinet of Curiosity, with activities included with admission. It is a useful option for anyone now measuring the school holidays in snacks rather than days.

In Glastonbury, Harry Brockway: Ways With Wood Exhibition is running at Somerset Rural Life Museum. The exhibition celebrates the life and work of Glastonbury-based artist Harry Brockway, who lived from 1958 to 2024, and features wood engravings, woodcuts and wooden sculpture. Brockway worked as a printmaker, sculptor, illustrator and stone carver, with his illustrations appearing in editions of works including Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and writing by Philip Pullman. The museum is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10am until 5pm. Admission is free with a Museum Unlimited pass, with normal admission otherwise listed at £11 for adults, £9 for concessions, £5.25 for children aged five to 17 and free for under-fives.

Also at Somerset Rural Life Museum, Summer Fun on the Farm offers visitors the chance to explore the galleries, meet visiting animals and take part in craft activities, including activities inspired by the Harry Brockway exhibition. The Grain Store Café is also open for refreshments. Drop-in activities are free with a Museum Unlimited Annual Pass unless otherwise stated. There are worse ways to spend the last stretch of August than making things while somebody else deals with the washing up.

At Somerset Coalfield Life at Radstock Museum, Old MacDonald's Farm Trail runs until Tuesday, 1 September. Children can hunt around the museum for farm animals, work out where they live on Old MacDonald's Farm and claim a small free prize at the end. The trail is included with museum admission, and tickets act as annual passes. There are also other children's trails at the museum, including the Amy Ammonite Trail and Bob the Miner Trail. Frankly, Old MacDonald is having a very productive summer.

Shepton Mallet Men's Shed continues at Unit 8 on the Charlton Estate. The group began in September 2017 and was set up to help tackle isolation and loss of direction linked to retirement, unemployment, poor health or bereavement. It provides companionship, practical activities and opportunities to learn and share skills, while also taking on community projects such as repairing park benches and making shelving for community halls. Sessions are listed for Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 9am until noon and Thursdays from 9am until 4pm. Despite the name, it is an industrial unit rather than a garden shed, which at least saves somebody having to explain where all the power tools have come from.

Music also has a regular place on the local calendar. Pop Rock Pub Contemporary Choir is a non-auditioned choir singing well-known pop and rock hits with a live band at rehearsals. Everyone is welcome, and members are invited to head to Fosso Lounge afterwards for a drink and a social. No audition, a live band and a trip to the pub afterwards is a fairly efficient way of dealing with three separate Friday-night requirements at once.

PRP Gospel Choir at Wells Methodist Church also runs monthly, with sessions on the first Friday of each month from 7.30pm until 9pm at Wells Methodist Church, Southover, BA5 1UG. Musical director Emma Wheat leads the sessions, which feature three-part gospel harmony and accompaniment from an in-house live band. No previous experience is needed, songs are taught by ear and people of any faith or none are welcome. Sessions cost £10 on a drop-in basis. No sheet music to hide behind, then.

The Secret Supper Club at The Bishop's Palace also continues through 2026. The next listed date after the Bank Holiday is Thursday, 10 September, followed by Thursday, 8 October and Thursday, 12 November. The evening costs £40 per person for three courses, with a £5 non-refundable deposit required to secure a booking. Food is served from 7.30pm, with last orders at 9pm, and guests receive a password to gain access over the medieval drawbridge. Dinner requiring a password is much more fun than dinner requiring a loyalty app.

On Friday, 28 August, Summer Late Openings at The Bishop's Palace reaches its final advertised Friday evening of the summer. Visitors can head in from 6pm until 8pm, with last entry at 7.30pm, and are welcome to bring a picnic and spend the evening in the Palace gardens. Tickets are listed at £8.75 for adults and £4.40 for children. Anyone who has been saying "we'll do one of those later in the summer" has, in calendar terms, reached later.

Friday is also the regular fourth-Friday meeting for Glastonbury Carers Group. The free, informal Somerset Carers Service gathering is for people supporting family or friends in an unpaid capacity. The group meets monthly at Brunel Care Home at 10.30am, offering a chance to socialise, share ideas and experiences, and meet professionals and service providers who can offer information and support. First-time visitors are asked to call Cath on 07535 279359 before attending in case schedules change. One-to-one support is also available through the Somerset Carers Service Advice Line on 0800 3168600.

Saturday, 29 August brings a particularly varied selection.

Family Reptile Adventure takes place at Heal Somerset, BA11 5HH. Volunteer reptile surveyor Lynne Sewell will lead a small-group walk exploring the site and looking for Britain's native reptiles. Visitors will learn how to spot and identify different species, discover the habitats they rely on and keep an eye out for other summer wildlife along the way.

Species recorded at Heal include common lizard, slow worm, grass snake, common toad, smooth newt, palmate newt and great crested newt. Dragonflies, butterflies and birds may also be spotted, while the walk includes the wetlands where resident beavers have been changing the landscape. There is even a chance of seeing wild-living Tamworth pigs Ticket and Tailor. Reptiles, beavers and pigs before lunch is a fairly respectable return on one family outing.

Also on Saturday, Truckfest South West 2026 arrives at the Royal Bath & West Showground, Shepton Mallet, BA4 6QN, for Saturday, 29 and Sunday, 30 August. Visitors can expect car-crushing monster trucks, arena stunt shows, special guests, live music, rides, award-winning truck displays, refreshments and retail stalls. Camping passes are also available and include a pitch, vehicle pass and show entry across the weekend. Quiet and understated it is not, but that would rather defeat the point.

In Glastonbury, the Summer Family Fun Day and Dog Show is at Tor Rugby Club. The day includes a fun dog show with rosettes, a dog scurry, mini photoshoots, stalls, games, face painting, inflatables, a raffle and tombola. Alexis from PaddiWags Dog Behaviour Training, Pet Sitting and Boarding is judging the dog show, while Tor Rugby Club will run its bar and barbecue. Free parking is available on site, and the event is mainly outdoors, so visitors are advised to prepare for whatever the British summer decides to contribute. The dogs will almost certainly be better dressed for it than the rest of us.

History Alive: Medieval Re-enactment weekend at The Bishop's Palace is also on the Bank Holiday calendar in Wells. The event runs over the weekend at The Bishop's Palace. Full programme and ticket details have not been confirmed here, so visitors should check the event listing before travelling. Medieval armour in August is commitment enough without arriving at the wrong time.

Sunday, 30 August brings RITS Day 2026 to Tor Leisure in Glastonbury, BA6 9EF. Riders In The Sky are holding the event in memory of Lee Baker and raising money for Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance.

The ride-out costs £10 per bike, with sign-in closing at 10am, before a free family fun day runs from midday until late. Food and drink, live music from local bands, stalls, children's entertainment and rides are planned, alongside a raffle and auction. Organisers are also appealing for sponsors for 20 pink high-visibility vests for bike marshals, as well as raffle and auction prizes. Suggested donations include gift vouchers, restaurant or café experiences, hampers, attraction tickets, beauty and spa treatments, motorcycle accessories or clothing, bottles, gifts, experiences and sports memorabilia. It is a proper community effort, with rather more riding and raffle tickets than your average Sunday.

Circus in the Park returns to Collett Park in Shepton on Sunday, 30 August, with workshops and performances open to families and visitors of all ages. The event forms part of Shepton Mallet's programme of free community events and will bring professional circus performers into the town for the afternoon. Wookey Hole Circus will be leading workshops covering low wire, hula hoops, fun wheels and juggling, giving visitors the chance to have a go under the guidance of experienced performers. The day will finish with a show featuring the circus professionals themselves.

And crucially for anyone whose juggling career has so far been limited to dropping three oranges in the kitchen, the workshops are designed for people to get involved rather than simply watch from the sidelines.

An Evercreech boot sale is also listed locally. Exact opening times and admission details have not been confirmed here, so visitors should check before travelling. Boot sales are mysterious enough once you get there without treating the start time as part of the treasure hunt.

Truckfest South West continues at the Royal Bath & West Showground on Sunday, while the medieval re-enactment weekend at The Bishop's Palace also continues through the Bank Holiday.

Bank Holiday Monday, 31 August then brings the Wells Moat Boat Race back to the Bishop's Palace moat and Wells Recreation Ground.

The free fun day runs from 10am until 4pm, with the Grand Parade beginning at 11am before teams take to the water. Racing includes adult and junior categories, the Bishop's Cup, Rescue Race, obstacle races and junior challenges, alongside prizes for raft design and fancy dress.

The Rescue Race sees four team members row along the moat before collecting another two crew members and returning to the finish, while junior competitors aged 13 to 17 can take part in sprint and backwards races. Away from the water, games, stalls, activities and musical acts are planned at Wells Recreation Ground.

Team entries have already closed, which means the rest of us get the much safer job of standing on dry land and deciding which raft looks least likely to become firewood.