Bath Abbey, is an Anglican parish church and an old monastery in Bath, Somerset. Its full name is the Abbey Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, Bath. It was founded in the 7th century, reorganised in the 10th century, and rebuilt in the 12th and 16th centuries. It is one of the finest and largest examples of Gothic architecture (Perpendicular style) in the West of England.

The church is a former Benedictine monastery, and a former cathedral.

Main events

• In 675 Osric, King of the Hwicce, granted the Abbess Berta 100 hides near Bath for the establishment of a convent. This religious house later became a monastery under the patronage of the Bishop of Worcester.
• William Rufus granted Bath, Somerset to a royal physician, John of Tours, who became Bishop of Wells and Abbot of Bath. In 1090 he moved his seat from Wells to Bath Abbey, which therefore became a cathedral.
• The church became a ruin, and was restored just before the dissolution of the monasteries. Then it was stripped of lead, iron and glass, before being restored again by Elizabeth I.
• Restoration from 1860 to the present day has brought the church up to a high standard.
• From the 13th century the seat of the bishops has usually been in Wells Cathedral, even though the city of Bath is much larger than Wells. The bishopric has been joined as 'Bath and Wells' since 1245.

Related pages

• Wells Cathedral
• Hexham Abbey