Bath
Abbey stands at the heart of the City of Bath. For those arriving
by by coach on a tour they will be dropped off right next to Bath
Abbey, (the Roman Baths being adjacent to Bath Abbey).
The Abbey itself has a long and colourful history and has been rebuilt
several times. The present Abbey church founded in 1499, ruined after
the dissolution of the monasteries in 1539 by order of Henry VIII,
was completed in 1611.
It should be remembered that this is a working church. Bath Abbey
is a place of worship where people meet for services on Sundays and
during the week.
This does mean that the Abbey has to be closed to visitors during
some services and events, but there will always be a notice on the
door to inform you when the Abbey is open again. Do check on arrival.
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Bath
Abbey
Pictured From In Front Of Roman Baths |
Tower
Tours take place daily (except Sundays) on the hour from 10.00 am
to 4.00 pm and are very popular, there is a fee for these tours. Photography
is permitted in the Abbey.
You can climb the 212 steps to the top of the tower and enjoy a panoramic
and unrivalled view of the city. Visitors can see the 10 bells and
hear how the tower was built. You can also sit inside the Abbey's
clockface
The Abbey Shop stocks a large range of bibles, Christian books, guide
books, postcards, greetings cards, CDs, icons, jewellery and gifts.
All
profits from the shop go towards the ministry and maintenance of the
Abbey.
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At
the Heritage Vaults, accessible from outside the building (in the
abbey's south wall, off Abbey Churchyard), you can see an audio-visual
presentation of the abbey's history and a reconstruction of the Norman
cathedral that preceded it.
Founded in the 7th century, reorganised in the 10th century and rebuilt
in the 12th and 16th centuries, it is now one of the premier examples
of Norman Perpendicular Gothic architecture. |
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In
675 Osric, King of the Hwicce, granted the Abbess Berta finance for
the establishment of a convent at Bath. Offa of Mercia rebuilt the
monastic church, which may have occupied the site of an earlier pagan
temple in 781.
Bath was ravaged in a power struggle between the sons of William the
Conqueror following his death in 1087. John of Tours, who became Bishop
of Wells and Abbot of Bath bought Bath Abbey's grounds from the king,
as well as the city of Bath itself.
John became the first Bishop of Bath, and the church was raised to
cathedral status.
With the elevation of the abbey to cathedral status it was felt that
a larger, more impressive building was required on a grand scale.
Unfortunately the half finished cathedral was devastated by fire in
1137, but work continued until about 1156. When Oliver King, Bishop
of Bath and Wells 1495–1503, visited Bath in 1499 he was shocked
to find this famous church in ruins.
In 1539 as part of the reformation, the church was stripped of lead,
iron and glass and left to decay. It wasn't until 1574, when Queen
Elizabeth I promoted the restoration of the church, to serve as the
grand parish church of Bath that things took off. She ordered that
a national fund should be set up to finance the work triggering phases
of development that brought about what you see today. |
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