Bath Abbey

For over a thousand years there has been a place of Christian worship on the site where Bath Abbey now stands. The existing 16th-century abbey replaced a Norman cathedral and a Saxon monastery. Buried deep below are the foundations of a Roman temple. The abbey is the last of the great medieval gothic churches to be built before the break with Rome and is one of the last English buildings in the Perpendicular style, with strong vertical lines and flying buttresses. The light interior is due to the beautiful windows which make up 80% of the wall space, and the fan vaulted ceiling is one of the finest in the world. With beautiful, full-colour photography supporting a lively text that takes the reader on a tour through all parts of the abbey, this guide traces the evolution of Bath’s largest church from its beginnings as a great Saxon monastery church to its life today as Britain’s most visited parish church outside London.