Bath Abbey

The Abbey from the garden by the River.

At last, I can hear some of you say!! Christmas got in the way of my publishing this blog, that is my excuse anyway!

A wonderful front door.

Such a beautiful building

The beautiful fan vaulted ceiling.

Bath Abbey is situated next to the Roman Baths, the Abbey Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, Bath, is an Anglican parish church. And what a beautiful Church it is! It was built in the 1500’s and the first thing that you notice when you get inside the building proper is the wonderful fan vault ceiling. I have seen another ceiling like this in the King’s College Chapel, in Cambridge. Apparently the Bath Abbey ceiling was done first, and repeated in In the King’s College Chapel. Believe me, both ceilings are wonderful!

We visited the Abbey twice, the first time was the evening of the day we arrived in Bath, it was about 5pm so we went in for a quick look. The October sun shining through the stained glass windows was just beautiful, and as a lot of the tourists had left, there was a lovely calm atmosphere in the building. While we were wondering around I noticed a sign saying ‘Tower Tours’ now anyone who has been following my blogs will see there is a pattern emerging here…I seem to have to climb up church towers!! First it was St Pauls Cathedral with its 530 steps (yes, you did read that right!) then it was the Lantern Tower of Ely Cathedral, so of course I had to climb this tower too! We noted the time of the tours, and the next day after we had been to the Roman Baths, had lunch and a wander around we arrived in time for us to have a better look round and for me to go up the Tower.

Inside the clock!

The wonderful bells

My friend is not keen on heights and decided not to come up the Tower with me, but she was happy to wander around the Abbey, and apparently had a private service with one of the vicars while I was up the Tower!

Beautiful Bath spread out below us.

Looking down on the Roman Baths from the roof.

The square and the Roman Baths.

Looking towards the park and the river.

We were a group of about 12 people, we started our climb up a very old staircase and arrived in the bell ringers room. We were then split into 2 groups, my group were taken to see the clock first. It is something to be inside a church clock!! We sat inside the clock for a few minutes, then we returned to the bell ringers room. The other group were taken to see the clock and our group were taken to see the bells. What a wonderful experience I don’t think I have ever been that close to working bells before. we had time to take photos, but obviously these visits are carefully timed so the bells do not start ringing while you are in there.

Under the Great West Window.

We walked behind the statue.

One of the Jacobs ladders that are on the front of the Abbey.

We all re-grouped in the bell ringers room once more, then we climbed up some more stairs and emerged on the roof of the tower to see the beautiful city of Bath spread put below us. Just wonderful, especially seeing the Roman Baths from up there. Photos taken, we were taken down by a different route including walking directly underneath the Great West Window of the Abbey, on the outside! Safely back on the ground floor we were all given bookmarks with a picture of the Jacobs Ladder sculpture which is on the front of the Abbey. I thought that was a lovely touch, the bookmark says ‘ I’ve climbed up the 212 steps of Bath Abbey tower and down again’. If anyone gets the chance to visit Bath do try the tower tour, it is well worth it.

I know some of you have not seen the St Pauls Cathedral Blog, as it was published on Windows Live Spaces, so, if you would like me to re-publish it here, please let me know. I will see if I can find it, or write another one. I know I still have the photos!