Deep within the historic city of Bath lies its wonderful abbey; the abbey is the last of three churches to have stood on the site over the last twelve and a half centuries. Its official name is the Abbey Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, but it is more commonly known as Bath Abbey. The former Benedictine monastery in the county of Somerset has been rebuilt twice, in the 12th and 16th centuries, and is one of the best examples of Gothic architecture in South West England.
The history of the abbey began in 675 when the Hwicce king granted permission to build a nunnery at Bath which later became a monastery. The monastery played an important part in the history of England with Edgar the Peaceful being crowned King of England before his accession to the throne in 959. It was King Edgar who introduced and encouraged the monks of the Abbey to follow the rules and teachings. of Saint Benedict.
The Abbey church seats around 1,200 people and has a cruciform plan. It is not only used for religious ceremonies, but in the past it has been used for civic ceremonies, concerts, recitals and even conferences. There are numerous monuments and memorials within the Abbey, many of which are dedicated to English statesmen and one is even dedicated to US Senator William Bingham who died in the town in 1804.
As with many of the world’s largest abbeys and churches, the organ is a very important and historic piece of equipment and is considered much more than just a musical instrument. The first mention of the Abbey Organ was in 1634, but not much information is known about its type or maker. The Abbey’s original chime of six bells was replaced in 1700 by a new chime of eight and all but one survive to this day.
Deep in the cellars, visitors can find the Bath Abbey Heritage Vaults Museum; the museum is housed within the restored 18th-century vaults. Throughout the museum, visitors can see many different artifacts and items relating to the rich history that surrounds the abbey and its many inhabitants over the years. During the year you can find many different exhibitions on site, currently there are many diptychs on display that belong to the abbey. These extraordinary ancient tablets are very interesting and popular with visitors.
The Abbey also has a large collection of archives that contain information on everything from burial details to historical documents and are available to the public.
