Bath Abbey
The Abbey Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, commonly known as Bath Abbey, is a parish church of the Church of England and former Benedictine monastery in Bath, Somerset, England. Founded in the 7th century, it was reorganised in the 10th century and rebuilt in the 12th and 16th centuries; major restoration work was carried out by Sir George Gilbert Scott in the 1860s. It is one of the largest examples of Perpendicular Gothic architecture in the West Country. The medieval abbey church served as a sometime cathedral of a bishop. After long contention between churchmen in Bath and Wells the seat of the Diocese of Bath and Wells was later consolidated at Wells Cathedral. The Benedictine community was dissolved in 1539 during the Dissolution of the Monasteries.
| Bath Abbey | |
|---|---|
| Abbey Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul | |
Bath Abbey as viewed from the south-west | |
Bath Abbey Location within Somerset | |
| 51°22′53″N 02°21′32″W | |
| Location | Bath, Somerset |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Previous denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Churchmanship | Low Church |
| Website | www.bathabbey.org |
| History | |
| Status | Active |
| Dedication | Saint Peter and Saint Paul |
| Past bishop(s) | James Montague |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage designation | Grade I |
| Designated | 12 June 1950 |
| Architect(s) | William Vertue, Robert Vertue, George Gilbert Scott, George Phillips Manners |
| Architectural type | Parish church |
| Style | Perpendicular Gothic |
| Years built | 1499–1611 |
| Groundbreaking | 675 |
| Completed | 1611 |
| Specifications | |
| Capacity | 1,200 |
| Length | 220 feet (67 m) |
| Width | 22 feet (6.7 m) |
| Number of towers | 1 |
| Tower height | 160 feet (49 m) |
| Materials | Bath stone |
| Bells | 10 |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Bath and Wells |
| Parish | Bath Abbey with St James |
| Clergy | |
| Bishop(s) | Michael Beasley |
| Rector | Revd Prebendary Guy Bridgewater |
| Canon Missioner | Revd Stephen Girling |
| Curate(s) | Revd Cath Candish |
| Minister(s) | Revd Dr Nigel Rawlinson |
| Laity | |
| Organist/Director of music | Huw Williams |
| Business manager | Frank Mowat |
The church architecture is cruciform in plan and can seat up to 1,200 patrons. An active place of worship, it also hosts civic ceremonies, concerts and lectures. There is a heritage museum in the cellars.
The abbey is a Grade I listed building, particularly noted for its fan vaulting. It contains war memorials for the local population and monuments to several notable people, in the form of wall and floor plaques and commemorative stained glass. The church has two organs and a peal of ten bells. The west front includes sculptures of angels climbing to heaven on two stone ladders, representing Jacob's Ladder.