Bath Abbey

This text charts the history Bath abbey from the early 16th century, by means of captioned images of the exterior and the interior of the church, the memorials and tombs, its visitors, personalities and events. Since Saxon times there has been a church on the site. Following the transfer of the Bishop's throne from Wells to Bath in the 11th century, the Saxon abbey was demolished and replaced by a new cathedral priory. This church was badly damaged by fire and rebuilt. In 1247, Wells again became the centre of the diocese, which since then has been known as the diocese of Bath and Wells. The volume follows the numerous restorations of the building, including the 19th-century "opening out" of the interior for public worship and the 20th-century cleaning and conservation of the west front and the interior.