Swan Escort

One of the attractions in the city of Wells is the moat around the Bishop’s Palace where a family of swans live. Grace and Gabriel have lived on the moat for several years now, and each spring they produce five or six cygnets. What they are particularly known for is ringing a bell on the gatehouse when it is feeding time, a tradition started by the daughter of a former bishop and one which is still carried on today. Once the cygnets are older they are expected to leave the moat in anticipation of the new cygnets arriving in the spring. Preparations for leaving and making their own way in the world include practicing flying along the moat or going for into town.

One morning recently I was surprised to find one of the cygnet swans on my street. A lady who was nearby decided she had better help the cygnet find its way back to the moat, and protect it from the traffic. A little further on another lady stopped her car, got out and joined the escort. When I next saw them a young man had also joined them - and that’s the story behind these photographs!