Bath Abbey Footprint
What is Bath Abbey Footprint?
Bath Abbey Footprint is a major development programme which aims to meet the worshipping needs of the community in this age and for years to come, and to develop the facilities to support and enhance the Abbey’s service to the city. This is a very exciting and meaningful project for us, and we wanted a name that encapsulates our vision and which also inspires:
We chose Footprint for its three different meanings:
- Footprint because it reminds us that the Abbey is a church, called to follow the way of Jesus.
- Footprint recalls the rich heritage of the Abbey and the new physical imprint the works will create.
- Footprint brings to mind the fragility of the earth and of the need for us to consider, at every stage of the development, our own carbon footprint.
Recent excavations have revealed that all the layers of the city's life are reflected in the Abbey’s building: Roman, Saxon, Norman, Tudor, Georgian, Victorian, early 20th century. Now, true to the Abbey’s commitment to foster faith relevant to every generation, the responsibility has fallen to us to ensure it remains fit for purpose for the rest of the century and beyond.
Bath Abbey Footprint represents a once in a lifetime opportunity to enable the Abbey to fulfil its commitment to serve both city and nation through the 21st century and maintain its position as an icon of Christianity in the heart of our World Heritage city. We will delivering this with a blend of consultation, conservation and design.
While the Abbey may superficially appear changeless, it has always adapted to the times, provoked by its unique responsibility to the city. An obvious example comes from the Victorian period. At that time, the congregation required better visibility, some heat in the winter, artificial light to read the orders of service, and seating for all – not just the few. The solutions were radical, but appropriate: pews, chandeliers, central heating from cast-iron gratings and the open view down the nave.
Today the Abbey serves a large and diverse community and once, again contemporary demands oblige us to find equally appropriate solutions.
If you would like to discuss the Campaign, or make a contribution towards our work, please contact Charles Curnock.
@bathabbey