Somerset is home to an amazingly wide selection of festivals. These range across art, media, literature, live comedy, food and film. The magnificent historic city of Wells is host to a number of these. I particularly want to draw your attention to two outstanding autumn festivals; the Wells Food Festival and the Wells Festival of Literature

Wells Food Festival – Sunday 8th October 2023

On Sunday 8 October 2023, Wells is set to be the centre of all things foodie again! The eleventh annual Food Festival will celebrate the best of Somerset’s wonderful local produce from over 150 of the area’s best artisan producers. The Festival is billed as “a celebration of Somerset’s rich culinary heritage” and “one of the prettiest food festivals in England”. It is is free to enter. Graze your way round the Artisan Producers Stalls which extend from the Market Square, along the Bishop’s Palace Moat and into the Recreation Ground.

Beanacre Barn – your perfect base for Autumn Festivals in Wells.
So, take a break in Somerset for a few days, stay in the beautiful Beanacre Barn and take in the Food Festival on Sunday 8th of October 2023.

Go to the Food Festival website for more details

Wells Festival of Literature  27 Oct – 4 Nov 2023

Wells Festival of Literature was set up in 1992. It aims to promote the enjoyment of books and to encourage a love of the written word. The Festival brings to Wells a wide range of international, national and local writers to entertain, challenge, inspire and inform audiences of all ages and tastes. The Festival  is funded by ticket sales, competition entries and generous local sponsors.

Mariella to launch our 2023 Festival

Somerset resident and one of the UK’s most recognised cultural critics, Mariella Frostrup is the natural choice to launch our 31st Festival!

Having spent 20 years presenting Open Book on BBC Radio 4, she now helms a current affairs and culture show on @TimesRadio which airs at lunchtime on Monday to Thursday.  Mariella has also served on the judging panel of every major book award including the Booker and the Women’s Prize; she has presented programmes from Panorama to Novel Britain, is an ambassador for Save the Children.

We are delighted that on 4 July Mariella will be guest speaker at the very first event of 2023: an evening at which the Festival organisers express our gratitude to the many Friends and sponsors without whose support we would be unable to provide a hugely successful and entertaining Festival AND help fund a large number of educational projects for state schools and colleges in the local area.

Find all the details at the Festival of Literature website 

Beanacre Barn – your perfect base for Autumn Festivals in Wells
The Beanacre Barn is only 5 miles from Wells so it is the perfect base from which to explore the wonderful Somerset towns and countryside.
It is ideally located for your visits to these great Festivals in Wells!