Wells Cathedral is marking the anniversary of its medieval Chained Library by launching a limited edition gin inspired by the first botanical text – one of the library’s most important exhibits.
Dean Turner’s New Herball Gin is now on sale at Wells Cathedral Shop. It was made in partnership with Somerset distillers Still Sisters and celebrates the life and legacy of Dr William Turner, a former Dean of Wells and the so-called ‘father of English botany’.
Turner’s most famous work, A New Herball—the first botanical text written in English—is held in the Cathedral’s historic library.
The new gin pays tribute to this heritage, using locally sourced botanicals inspired by those Turner studied in the 16th century.
Priced at £27 for a 350ml bottle, the gin is available in limited quantities and can be bought from the Cathedral Shop.
Visitors can also see Turner’s original work on a library tour and explore the Camery Garden, located within the Cathedral precincts.
You can check out times of the tours and the shop opening times here.
Wells is the latest cathedral to launch its own gin and follows Blackburn , Bristol, Bury St Edmunds, Canterbury, Chester, Durham, Rochester, St Albans and York.