|
Although there has been a church on the site since the seventh century, Bath Abbey (daily 9am-5pm; closes 4pm in winter; requested donation GBP2) did not take its present form until the end of the fifteenth century, when Bishop Oliver King began work on the ruins of the previous Norman building, some of which were incorporated into the new church. The bishop was said to have been inspired by a vision of angels ascending and descending a ladder to heaven, which the present facade recalls on the turrets flanking the central window. The west front also features the founder's signature in the form of carvings of olive trees surmounted by crowns, a play on his name. The interior is in a restrained Perpendicular style, and boasts splendid fan vaulting on the ceiling, which was not properly completed until the nineteenth century. The floor and walls are crammed with elaborate monuments and memorials, and traces of the grander Norman building are visible in the Norman Chapel
Your Tip for Bath Abbey
Help other backpackers! Write your own guides and backpacking tips to Bath Abbey - they will appear instantly on this page - Please only write a tip/guide to Bath Abbey - visit the main Bath Abbey forum to ask a question!
Please do not post links to your site here (they won't work) - please use the Bath Abbey webguide section below! Thanks.
| 
