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VERDICT: WE GAVE 4 OUT OF 5 TICKETS AND HERE’S WHY!
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Coronation Site: We return to Bath Abbey almost every year, drawn by its magnificent architecture, extraordinary history and personal family connection. Discover the church where Edgar was crowned King of the English in 973 and why this landmark belongs on every Bath itinerary.
Our Visits to Bath’s Magnificent Abbey, Where England’s First King Was Crowned More Than 1,000 Years Ago
Bath Abbey – A Landmark We Never Tire of Seeing
Whenever we return to Bath, which we are fortunate enough to do most years, there is one building we can’t help stopping to admire. Bath Abbey.
Standing right in the historic heart of the city, the Abbey is almost impossible to miss. On a busy day, we’ll see visitors gathering outside, walking tours passing through Abbey Churchyard and those familiar red double-decker sightseeing buses dropping people close to the city’s major attractions.
We’ve seen the Abbey countless times over the years, yet we still find ourselves stopping to look up. And there’s certainly plenty to look at.
More Than 1,000 Years of History
What makes Bath Abbey particularly fascinating to us is that the story of this site stretches back far beyond the building we see today.
A religious community was established here during the Anglo-Saxon period, traditionally dated to around AD 675. The site later became an important monastery and, following the Norman Conquest, an enormous Norman cathedral was constructed here.
The building standing before us today represents another chapter. Construction of the present Abbey began around 1499 under Bishop Oliver King. According to the famous story, Bishop King dreamed of angels ascending and descending ladders to heaven.
Look carefully at the Abbey’s spectacular west front and you’ll see those angels climbing stone ladders. It’s one of those details we probably wouldn’t have appreciated without knowing the story behind it.
Construction continued over generations, while later restoration, particularly during the Victorian period, helped create the magnificent church visitors experience today.
Where England’s First King Was Crowned
For us, one event makes this location especially significant. In 973, King Edgar was crowned here. Edgar is often described as the first King of All England, and the elaborate coronation ceremony held at Bath established elements that influenced later English coronations.
When we’re standing outside the Abbey, it’s remarkable to think that an event of such national importance happened on this site more than 1,000 years ago.
We’ve visited plenty of historic churches and cathedrals around Britain and Europe, but knowing that Bath played such an important role in the story of the English monarchy gives the Abbey an entirely different significance.
Our Own Family Connection
There’s another reason Bath Abbey has a particularly personal connection for me.
Deep within my own ancestry, I have a distant relative who was a bishop associated with the Abbey. It’s a very distant historical connection, of course, but I still find it fascinating.
Genealogy has a wonderful way of turning historic places into something more personal. Standing outside a building that has survived centuries and knowing that someone within my own distant family history was connected to it makes me look at Bath Abbey slightly differently.
It’s another reason I would eventually like to spend considerably more time exploring the Abbey properly.
Stepping Inside Bath Abbey
Despite visiting Bath many times, we have a confession to make. We still haven’t completed the full Abbey tour. We’ll have to correct that on one of our next visits.
We have, however, stepped inside for a quick look and the interior is quite magnificent. The soaring Gothic architecture, huge stained-glass windows and extraordinary fan-vaulted ceiling immediately draw our eyes upwards. It’s one of those buildings where photographs don’t quite convey the scale.
From outside, Bath Abbey dominates the surrounding square. Inside, it feels even larger.
Look Down as Well as Up
Most visitors understandably spend plenty of time looking towards the ceiling and stained glass, but Bath Abbey has stories beneath our feet as well. The church contains hundreds of memorials commemorating people connected with Bath over the centuries, creating an extraordinary record of the city’s social history.
Major conservation work through the Abbey’s Footprint Project also transformed the building for modern visitors. Work included repairing the historic floor, conserving ledgerstones and installing an innovative heating system that makes use of Bath’s natural thermal water system.
For almost 2,000 years, Bath has been shaped by the hot springs beneath the city and even this ancient church continues to benefit from them.
Climbing Bath Abbey Tower
One experience we’re particularly interested in doing on a future visit is the Bath Abbey Tower Tour. The guided experience involves climbing more than 200 steps towards the top of the tower.
Along the way, visitors can explore areas normally hidden from view, including the bell-ringing chamber and spaces behind the clock face, before reaching viewpoints overlooking Bath. Considering the Abbey’s position in the centre of the city, we can imagine the views are spectacular. It’s firmly on our list for next time.
Bath Abbey and the Roman Baths
Another reason we recommend visiting Bath Abbey is its extraordinary location. Walk outside and you’re essentially next door to the Roman Baths.
Few cities allow us to move so easily between such important periods of history. Within a matter of minutes, we can explore the story of Roman Aquae Sulis, stand on the site where an English king was crowned in 973 and then walk through streets transformed during Bath’s magnificent Georgian period. For a first-time visitor, we’d definitely combine Bath Abbey and the Roman Baths.
They belong together on any Bath itinerary.
5 Fascinating Facts About Bath Abbey
1. England’s first king was crowned here in AD 973.
Edgar’s coronation took place on this site, and the ceremony helped establish traditions that influenced later English coronations.
2. The religious history stretches back to around AD 675.
The site has roots in an Anglo-Saxon religious community, followed by a monastery, Norman cathedral and eventually today’s Abbey.
3. The present Abbey began around 1499.
Bishop Oliver King initiated the rebuilding that produced the foundations of the magnificent late-Gothic church we see today.
4. Angels climb the Abbey’s west front.
Stone angels ascending and descending ladders reference Bishop Oliver King’s legendary dream that inspired the rebuilding of the church.
5. There are more than 200 steps to the top of the tower.
Visitors taking a Tower Tour can climb high above the Abbey for impressive views across historic Bath.
Allow Time to Explore
One mistake we wouldn’t make is treating Bath Abbey simply as something to photograph while walking between other attractions. We’ve been guilty of doing exactly that ourselves. There is considerably more here.
The Abbey’s story encompasses Anglo-Saxon England, Norman architecture, medieval monastic life, Tudor upheaval, Victorian restoration and modern conservation.
And despite all that history, this isn’t simply a museum.
Officially the Abbey Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, Bath Abbey remains an active Church of England parish church, continuing a tradition of Christian worship on this site stretching back well over a millennium.
Why We Keep Coming Back
Bath is one of our favourite cities in the world, and Bath Abbey is inseparable from the city we know and love. Whenever we’re back, we seem to find ourselves standing outside it again. Sometimes we’re simply walking through the city.
And sometimes we stop because that extraordinary west front has caught our attention yet again. Next time, we’re determined to explore properly—and perhaps finally climb that tower.
For anyone visiting Bath for the first time, we’d highly recommend making Bath Abbey a priority rather than simply a photo stop.
Step inside. Look up at that extraordinary ceiling. Think about the kings, monks, bishops and generations of Bath residents who have passed through this site.
Then walk next door and travel even further back in time at the Roman Baths.
Few places capture the extraordinary layers of Bath’s history quite like Bath Abbey.
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