Former Benedictine Abbey Church-- Bath, Somerset, UK
N 51° 22.858 W 002° 21.497
30U E 544659 N 5692386
Bath Abbey, also known as the Church of St Peter and St Paul, was a Roman Catholic Benedictine monastery church until the Reformation in 1539. Afterwards, the former abbey became an Anglican parish church
Waymark Code: WMT9FG
Location: South West England, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 10/19/2016
Views: 11
Bath Abbey, a former Benedictine (Catholic) Monastery and Church, which after Henry VIII and the Reformation, became an Anglican parish church.
From the Bath Abbey website: (visit link)
"HISTORY
There has been a place of Christian worship on this site for well over a thousand years. However, the Abbey has undergone many transformations and changes during this time, and 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, but still stands proudly today as an essential place for both worshippers and visitors.
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. If we had to pick just five things we would like you to know about the Abbey’s history, these are:
FIVE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT BATH ABBEY
Three different churches have occupied the site of today’s Abbey since 757 AD. First, an Anglo-Saxon monastery which was pulled down by the Norman conquerors of England; then a massive Norman cathedral which was begun about 1090 but lay in ruins by late 15th century; and finally, the present Abbey Church as we now know it.
The first King of all England, King Edgar was crowned on this site in 973 (as shown above). The service set the precedent for the coronation of all future Kings and Queens of England including Elizabeth II.
The first sight most visitors have of Bath Abbey is the West front, with its unique ladders of Angels. The story behind this is that the Bishop of Bath, Oliver King, is said to have had a dream of angels ascending and descending into heaven which inspired the design and which also inspired him to build a new Abbey church – the last great medieval cathedral to have been built in England.
After the dissolution of the monasteries in 1539 by order of King Henry VIII, the Abbey lay in ruins for more than 70 years. It wasn’t until 1616, that much of the building we see today was repaired and in use as a parish church and over two hundred years later, in the 1830s, that local architect George Manners added new pinnacles and flying buttresses to the exterior and inside, built a new organ on a screen over the crossing, more galleries over the choir and installed extra seating.
The Abbey as we know it is the work of Sir George Gilbert Scott, who from 1864 to 1874, completely transformed the inside of the Abbey to conform with his vision of Victorian Gothic architecture. His most significant contribution must surely be the replacement of the ancient wooden ceiling over the nave with the spectacular stone fan vaulting we see today.
. . .
The present Abbey church as we know it was started around 1499, but was not complete by the time King Henry VIII initiated the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1539. At this time, the monastery was still occupied and the church which Bishop King had begun was being used daily for prayer and worship. But the Benedictine monks knew their days were numbered; and on January 27th, 1539, the site was surrendered to the crown.
The Church Commissioners offered the church to the city for 500 marks (roughly the equivalent of £160,000 today), but amazingly this was turned down, showing how far the Abbey’s standing had fallen. Similar to the fates suffered by many other great priories and churches during this time, all the valuable parts of the building were taken away, for example the beautiful stained glass windows were ripped out and the roof was stripped for the lead. In 1542 the empty shell was sold, along with the monastery, to Humphrey Colles, who sold it on to Matthew Colthurst.
In 1535 John Leyland, traveller and antiquarian visited Bath. He reported that
“Oliver King, Bishop of Bath, began of late days a right goodly new church at the west part of the old church of St Peter and finished a great piece of it. The residue of it was since made by the priors of Bath and especially by Gibbes, the last prior there, that spent a great sum of money on that fabric.”
The first sight most visitors have of Bath Abbey is the West front, with its unique ladders of Angels. The story behind this is that Bishop Oliver King is said to have had a dream of ascending and descending angels which inspired the design of the facade thousands of people gaze up at and admire today. Whatever the truth of this story, it was Bishop King who was the driving force behind plans to tear down the decaying Norman cathedral and replace it with a new building – one of the last great medieval cathedrals to be built in England."
Type of Church: Church
Status of Building: Actively in use for worship
Date of building construction: 01/01/1499
Dominant Architectural Style: Gothic
Associated Shrines, Art, etc.: Jacob's ladder, Apostles and Saints, Christ in Glory, King Henry VII
Archdiocese: Anglican Archdiocese of Canterbury
Diocese: Anglican Diocese of Bath & Wells
Address/Location:
Bath Abbey
Bath, Somerset United Kingdom
Relvant Web Site: [Web Link]
Date of organization: Not listed
|
Visit Instructions:
To log a visit to this waymark, you must post at least one original photo of the site, give the date and a brief description of your visit.