Bath Abbey

Bath Abbey stands in the heart of Bath, Somerset, on the site of an earlier 7th-century convent. The present church, a cruciform building in Perpendicular Gothic style, was largely rebuilt in the 16th century and restored by Sir George Gilbert Scott in the 1860s. It served as a cathedral for parts of the 12th and 14th centuries before becoming a parish church. The abbey’s west front shows angels climbing two stone ladders, Jacob’s Ladder, carved in the 19th century. The abbey is one of the West Country’s finest examples of Perpendicular Gothic architecture. It seats up to 1,200 people and hosts civic ceremonies, concerts and lectures. The cellars contain a small museum, and the church holds war memorials and monuments to notable figures. Two organs and a peal of ten bells serve the active congregation. The fan vaulting is especially admired. Inside, visitors find the nave, transepts and choir arranged in a clear cross shape. The surviving Norman crossing wall and arches were incorporated into the later rebuilding. Wall and floor plaques commemorate local people and historical figures. The stained glass and memorials reflect centuries of worship and community life. The abbey’s setting in central Bath makes it a prominent landmark among the city’s Georgian terraces.