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BATH ABBEY
Thursday, May 28
We had started out that morning intending to go to Salisbury (Old Sarum) but we got to the wrong train station in London. (We went to Pennington instead of Waterloo. Confusing!) The ticket seller suggested we should go to Bath, because he said it was much more interesting than trying to get to Old Sarum and Stonehenge. He said we could take the train from Bath to Salisbury. We decided to take his advice. I'd been to Bath several years ago with my friend Anne and we spent a couple of days there. I remembering having been quite impressed with the town and what there is to see there -- mainly the Roman baths.
One of the other big features in Bath is the impressive Bath Abbey. It dominates the town and has for many centuries. In fact, there's 1600 years of history in this magnificent church and, in the town itself, even older history.
We had started out that morning intending to go to Salisbury (Old Sarum) but we got to the wrong train station in London. (We went to Pennington instead of Waterloo. Confusing!) The ticket seller suggested we should go to Bath, because he said it was much more interesting than trying to get to Old Sarum and Stonehenge. He said we could take the train from Bath to Salisbury. We decided to take his advice. I'd been to Bath several years ago with my friend Anne and we spent a couple of days there. I remembering having been quite impressed with the town and what there is to see there -- mainly the Roman baths.
One of the other big features in Bath is the impressive Bath Abbey. It dominates the town and has for many centuries. In fact, there's 1600 years of history in this magnificent church and, in the town itself, even older history.
THE NAVE, BATH ABBEY
A brief history of BATH:
AD 43: Romans invade Britain
60: Romans begin to develop Bath as a spa around Bath's hot springs. Bath becomes the centre of Pagan worship.
5th century: End of Roman Britain.
577 Saxons capture Bath
676 Convent of Christian nuns founded in Bath
757 Cynewulf, king of the Saxosn, grants land at Bath to the monks of St. Peter
577 Saxons capture Bath
676 Convent of Christian nuns founded in Bath
757 Cynewulf, king of the Saxosn, grants land at Bath to the monks of St. Peter
973 in Bath Abbey, Edgar crowned as first king of E
1066 Norman conquest
1066 Norman conquest
1090's new cathedral founded
1499 Norman cathedral ruined. Present Abbey church founded to replace it.
1611 Abbey restored 1539 Bath Abbey largely destroyed
18th Century Abbey church popular with visitors thronging to Bath's spa.
1860 major restorations
1942 Bath bombed and Abbey damaged
1942 Bath bombed and Abbey damaged
1991-2000 Abbey restored. Mesuem opened. Organ rebuilt; capels dedicated,, new frontal for high altar.
THE HIGH ALTAR AND EAST WINDOW
It really is an awesome cathedral and well worth a visit. 'we didn't take time to visit the Heritage Vaults Museum which is underground, built over the medieval monks' cloister and burial ground. Maybe next time, because we all agreed we wish we had planned to spend more time in this lovely little town.
But what we'd come there to see were the Roman Baths, so that was our next stop that day.
But what we'd come there to see were the Roman Baths, so that was our next stop that day.
BATH, England
2 comments:
Great place and have awesome history :)
find a local guide
Loved this place and your blog. Discover Iceland
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