Bath Abbey

Bath Abbey
Abbey Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul
Bath Abbey as viewed from the south-west
Bath Abbey is located in Somerset
Bath Abbey
Bath Abbey
Location within Somerset
51°22′53″N 02°21′32″W / 51.38139°N 2.35889°W / 51.38139; -2.35889
LocationBath, Somerset
CountryEngland
DenominationChurch of England
Previous denominationRoman Catholic
ChurchmanshipLow Church[1]
Websitewww.bathabbey.org
History
StatusActive
DedicationSaint Peter and Saint Paul
Past bishop(s)James Montague
Architecture
Heritage designationGrade I
Designated12 June 1950[2]
Architect(s)William Vertue, Robert Vertue, George Gilbert Scott, George Phillips Manners
Architectural typeParish church
StylePerpendicular Gothic
Years built1499–1611
Groundbreaking675
Completed1611
Specifications
Capacity1,200
Length220 feet (67 m)[3]
Width22 feet (6.7 m)[3]
Number of towers1
Tower height160 feet (49 m)[4]
MaterialsBath stone
Bells10
Administration
DioceseBath and Wells
ParishBath Abbey with St James
Clergy
Bishop(s)Michael Beasley
RectorRevd Prebendary Guy Bridgewater
Canon MissionerRevd Stephen Girling
Curate(s)Revd Cath Candish
Minister(s)Revd Dr Nigel Rawlinson
Laity
Organist/Director of musicHuw Williams[5]
Business managerFrank Mowat
Looking west from the choir, the
fan vaulting is mostly 19th-century

The Abbey Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, commonly known as Bath Abbey,[6] is a parish church of the Church of England and former Benedictine monastery in Bath, Somerset, England.[7] 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.[8]

The church architecture is cruciform in plan[9] and can seat up to 1,200 patrons.[10][11] 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,[9][12] 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.

  1. ^ "Parnham Voices — Par.4 Line 1". Alfx.com. Archived from the original on 2 April 2012. Retrieved 11 January 2014.
  2. ^ "ABBEY CHURCH OF ST PETER AND ST PAUL". National Heritage List for England. Historic England. Retrieved 30 July 2022.
  3. ^ a b "Bath Abbey". Emporis. Retrieved 30 July 2022.[dead link]
  4. ^ Hope, Jessica (16 September 2016). "A perfect panorama: Bath Abbey". The Bath Magazine. Archived from the original on 30 July 2022. Retrieved 30 July 2022.
  5. ^ "Director – Huw Williams". www.cantemus.co.uk. Archived from the original on 1 April 2018. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
  6. ^ "Bath Abbey (St Peter and St Paul) on World Anglican Clerical Directory". World Anglican Clerical Directory. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
  7. ^ "Bath Abbey". University of Bath. Archived from the original on 25 April 2019. Retrieved 11 September 2018.
  8. ^ "The historic battle of the Diocese of Bath and Wells title". BBC Somerset. 23 January 2009. Archived from the original on 2 August 2019. Retrieved 11 September 2018.
  9. ^ a b Historic England. "Abbey Church of St Peter and St Paul (1394015)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 7 July 2015.
  10. ^ Gregson-Williams, Richard (1986). Festivals in Great Britain, Northern Ireland & Eire: A List with Forecast Dates and Policies. John Offord Publications. p. 9. ISBN 9780903931717.
  11. ^ McNeill-Ritchie, Simon (15 September 2017). Historic England: Bath: Unique Images from the Archives of Historic England. Amberley Publishing Limited. ISBN 9781445676074.
  12. ^ Cite error: The named reference pastscape was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

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