Wells, Somerset Following construction of the A39/A371 bypass, the centre of the city has returned to being that of a quiet market town. It has all the modern conveniences plus shops, hotels and restaurants. Wells is a popular tourist destination, due to its historical sites, its proximity to Bath, Stonehenge and Glastonbury and its closeness to the Somerset coast. Also nearby are Wookey Hole Caves, the Mendip Hills and the Somerset Levels. Somerset cheese, including Cheddar, is made locally. Wells is part of the Wells & Shepton Mallet Travel to Work Area which also includes Glastonbury, Cheddar and surrounding areas. The historic
Geography of Somerset Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). A large number of sea bird are resident or visit the island, particularly European herring gulls "(Larus argentatus)" and Lesser black-backed gulls "(Larus fuscus)", but it is mainly preserved for its botanical interest; it is the only site in the United Kingdom where wild peonies grow. The county contains several miles wide sections of the Avon green belt area, which is primarily in place to prevent urban sprawl from the Bristol and Bath built up areas into the rural areas of North Somerset, Bath and North East Somerset, and Mendip districts in the county,