"For My Next Visit!" Bath Abbey Tip by johngayton

Bath Abbey's official motto is "where earth and heaven meet" which is pretty apt when you see the Jacob's Ladders on the West Front with their angels scurrying heavenwards.

The abbey has a very varied history with the present building being the third edifice of Christian worship to have graced this site.

The original abbey was built in the 8th century as a local parish church and then developed as a cathedral by the Normans during the 12th century. When the cathederal diocese became that of Bath and Wells it was Wells that got the magnificent cathederal whilst Bath's was left to fall into disrepair.

In 1499 the then bishop of Bath and Wells, Oliver King, visited to find the church in ruins and tasked the local priory to have it rebuilt. However no sooner was it rebuilt when Henry VIII enacted the Dissolution of the Monasteries and the abbey was looted of its valuables and once again fell into disrepair.

Elizabeth I then took up the reins and in 1574 decreed that a national fund should be set up for the abbey's restoration and by some accounts the then bishop actually funded the roofing of the nave out of his own pocket!

Following its 17th century temporary rebuild the roofing of the nave was finally completed in 1860 and apart from a bit of tidying up here and there the building is pretty much the abbey as it now stands.

Following on from the "where earth and heaven meet" theme, one thing that does look especially worth doing is the "Tower Tour" which is a 45-50 minute guided tour offering a unique insiders view of the abbey as well as great panoramas from the top. So that's on my list for my next visit!

Website below has loads of useful info.

Address: Bath Abbey
Directions: Kinda difficult to miss really being slap-bang in the city centre!
Website: http://www.bathabbey.org