Bath Abbey

Some Interesting facts...

Abbey or Cathedral? Bath Abbey is a parish church which was once the great church of a monastery. A Cathedral is the principal church of a diocese, the area of a bishop's authority.

The abbey is 67m in length, 24m in height to the nave vaulting and 49m in height to the tower.

The west front represents the dream of Bishop Oliver King. In 1499 he ordered to demolish the ruined Norman Cathedral and replace it with the present abbey.

The west window contains scenes from the old testament. In the East the left hand side window depicts a scene of the crowing of Edgar in 973 in Bath, who was the first effective king of England.

The high altar and the East windows depicts 56 scenes of the life of our Lord.

The lectern from which the Bible is read stands upon a stone which records the visit of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in 1973, to mark the 1000'th anniversary of the coronation, in Bath Abbey, of her forebear King Edgar.

The History

AD - Birth of Jesus Christ

43 - Roman invade Britain

c60 - Romans begin developing Bath as a spa and as a centre of Pagan worship around Baths hot springs

300 - 350 - Evidence suggesting that Christians live in Bath

5th century - The end of Roman Britain

577 - Battle of Dyrham: Saxons capture Bath

676 - Convent of Christian nuns founded in Bath

757 - Cynewulf, king of West Saxons, grants land at Bath to the Monks of St. Peter

781 - Offa, king or Mercia, gains control of the monastery of St. Peter at Bath

973 - In Bath Abbey, St. Dunstan Archbishop of Canterbury and Oswald Archbishop of York crown Edgar as the first effective king of all England

c980 - St. Alphege becomes Abbot of Bath

1066 - Norman conquest

1090's - Norman Bishop John de Villula transfers his throne from Wells to Bath where he found his new cathedral

1499 - Norman cathedral in ruins; present Abbey church founded to replace it

1539 - Bath Abbey suppressed; site sold and buildings largely destroyed

1569 - Ruined Abbey presented to Bath to become its parish church

1611 - Abbey re-roofed and fully repaired

18th century - Abbey church patronised by visitors thronging Bath's spa and entertainment

1860s - Rector Kemble pays for a major restoration

1942 - Bath bombed and Abbey damaged 

1991-2000 - Abbey cleaned and restored. Museum opened; organ rebuilt; St. Alphege and Gethsemane chapels dedicated; Risen Christ statue created; new frontal for high altar.

2009 - Abbey development programme commenced with aims of improving the fabric and providing additional facilities for congregation and visitors

All I can say is this was one of the most beautiful churches I have ever been in. Definitely worth adding this on your bucket list of places to see in your lifetime.