History

The History of Bath Abbey

Over a thousand years of history

There has been a place of Christian worship on this site for well over a thousand years and the Abbey has undergone many transformations and changes during this time. Much like the city of Bath has experienced rise and falls in fortune, survived a number of major conflicts, architectural and religious reforms, and two World Wars, the Abbey still stands proudly today as an essential place for both worshippers and visitors.

Bath Abbey through history

As the history of this sacred place stretches as far back as Anglo-Saxon times, there is a great deal to discover: tales of Kings and Queens, saints and sinners, as well as stories of ordinary people.

Add to timeline:

2023 AD

2023 – Completion of the Footprint Project. The final phase of the project was the opening of the Discovery Centre on 7^th March, an exciting interactive experience designed to bring the Abbey’s history to life.

1539 AD

King Henry VIII closes Bath Abbey and many other convents and monasteries. The monks are forced to leave the Abbey and it is left to decay.

1572 AD

The ruined Abbey church is given to the city of Bath to use as its parish church.

1573 AD

Queen Elizabeth I gives permission for a national collection to raise money for the restoration of the Abbey.

1620 AD

The restoration of the Abbey is completed.

1833 AD

The City of Bath asks George Phillips Manners, a local architect, to restore the Abbey. He makes several major changes to the building. The design of the towers is changed and flying buttresses are added. Inside the building, there is a new organ mounted on a screen, galleries, and extra seating.

1836 AD

The right to appoint the Rector of Bath Abbey is sold by the City of Bath to the evangelical Cambridge clergyman, Charles Simeon. Charles Simeon’s trustees still appoint the Rector.

1844 AD

A new cemetery is opened, designed by the landscape architect John Claudius Loudon. The Abbey no longer allows burials under its floor.

1863 AD

George Gilbert Scott begins a major restoration of the Abbey. The organ is moved to the north transept. Pews are put in throughout the building. The wooden ceiling over the nave is replaced with stone fan vaulting.

1899 AD

Sir Thomas Jackson restores the West Front of the Abbey. Some of the statues are replaced with new carvings.

1919 AD

A new chapel is created in memory of those who died in the First World War. It is called the Gethsemane chapel. A new Memorial Cloister is built on the south side of the Abbey. It is now the Abbey shop.

1929 AD

Sir Harold Brakspear redesigns the East End of Bath Abbey.

1942 AD

During the Second World War, Bath is bombed. 400 people are killed and 872 are wounded. St James’s Church is badly damaged. The Abbey is not hit, but a bomb falls nearby. The Great East window and the windows on the north side of the building are badly damaged.

1948 AD

The Friends of Bath Abbey is founded. The Friends aim to raise money for the restoration of the Abbey.

1951 AD

The Book of Remembrance is placed in the Abbey. It records the names of all civilians and military personnel from Bath who died in the Second World War.

1960 AD

The post-war restoration programme is completed. £100,000 is raised by the Friends of Bath Abbey.

1973 AD

Queen Elizabeth II visits the Abbey to mark the coronation of Edgar in 973. A commemorative stone is placed in the floor.

1991 AD

A restoration programme called Abbey 2000 begins. It includes the restoration of the West Front, cleaning the outside and inside, and building a new organ.

2010 AD

The Footprint project is launched. It aims to repair the historic floor, create new spaces including a Song School, install a new heating system, and create a new Discovery Centre to re-tell the story of the Abbey.

2023 AD 2023

Completion of the Footprint Project. The final phase of the project was the opening of the Discovery Centre on 7th March, an exciting interactive experience designed to bring the Abbey’s history to life.

The People of Bath Abbey

Find out about the stories of some of the people who have made history in this holy place.

King Edgar

King Edgar was crowned King of All England in Bath on Whitsunday 973. The service used for Edgar’s coronation was compiled by Dunstan, who was Archbishop of Canterbury. The same…

John of Tours: building the Norman cathedral

John of Tours was Bishop of Wells in 1088. He was granted the city of Bath by King William Rufus. He decided to move the seat of the bishop to…

Adelard of Bath

Adelard of Bath has been called ‘the first English scientist’. Adelard was born in 1080 into a family of good standing in Bath. His father was from Lorraine and his…

Oliver King: dreaming of angels

Bishop Oliver King ordered the monks to rebuild the Abbey in 1499. They built a new church on the site of the old cathedral. The cathedral had decayed because the…

William Beckford Esq (1760-1844)

Beckford was an eccentric author and collector of fine art, silver and furniture. He was a wealthy man with a country house, Fonthill, and a house in Lansdown Crescent in…

Samuel Rogers (1782-1858)

Samuel Rogers originally worked as a sexton and verger at the Abbey. He took advantage of the opportunities offered by the new cemetery to establish a successful masonry business specialising…

Ann Partis (1758-1846)

Ann Partis and her husband are one of a number of examples of families who were separated in death by the building of the new cemetery. Fletcher Partis died in…

John Bythesea (1827-1906)

John Bythesea is the only holder of the Victoria Cross to be buried in the Abbey cemetery. He was a son of the Rector of Freshford near Bath, who was…

Collections

The Abbey has a small library of approximately 300 rare books. It is housed at Wells Cathedral Library and Visitors are welcome.

Find out more

Abbey Archives

The Abbey’s parish collection which includes baptism, marriage, and burial registers is kept at the Somerset Archives and Local Studies.

Take a look

Abbey Cemetery

The Bath Abbey cemetery is still a peaceful and beautiful place, and well worth a visit. It is open to the public all year round.

Visit the cemetery

Footprint Project

The Footprint project at Bath Abbey is a pioneering multi-million-pound initiative

Find out more

History

The History of Bath Abbey

Over a thousand years of history

Bath Abbey through history

2023 AD

1539 AD

1572 AD

1573 AD

1620 AD

1833 AD

1836 AD

1844 AD

1863 AD

1899 AD

1919 AD

1929 AD

1942 AD

1948 AD

1951 AD

1960 AD

1973 AD

1991 AD

2010 AD

2023 AD 2023

The People of Bath Abbey

King Edgar

John of Tours: building the Norman cathedral

Adelard of Bath

Oliver King: dreaming of angels

William Beckford Esq (1760-1844)

Samuel Rogers (1782-1858)

Ann Partis (1758-1846)

John Bythesea (1827-1906)

Collections

Abbey Archives

Abbey Cemetery

Footprint Project

Connect

Information

Commercial

Legal

Sign up to our newsletter