Wells has changed dramatically yet it still maintains the basic layout of its early medieval nucleus, many medieval buildings, and a rich archive of documents from the 12th century onwards. In the past few years Wells has attracted scholarly attention, including Dr. Rodwell's archaeological work, which has pushed back the roots of the town by three centuries, while Prof. Stokes, of Wisconsin, has discovered much on guild entertainments, Gary Shaw, from Canada, has researched early political development and the author has studied the evolution of the town.