Abbey Church of St Peter and St Paul Bath, England

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ABBEY CHURCH YARD Abbey Church of St Peter and St Paul

12/06/50 (Formerly Listed as: Abbey Church)

GV I

Abbey church, now City church. Largely of 1499-1533 with substantial Victorian restorations. Robert and William Vertue, Master Masons. MATERIALS: Bath limestone ashlar; repairs of c1900 carried out in Clipsham stone. Lead roofs. PLAN: Cruciform, with five-bay nave with aisles, three-bay choir with aisle chapels, narrow two-bay transepts, crossing tower, C20 cloistral range, undercroft (opened as museum in 1994). The Abbey is now completely freestanding, but in medieval period was surrounded by monastic buildings. After the Reformation various houses and shops attached themselves to the church until the last were cleared away during the Manners restoration of 1833. EXTERIOR: Very consistent Perpendicular, remarkable for the extent of glazing. Three-bay chancel, two-bay transepts, five-bay nave with crossing tower. Nave and chancel with single-height aisles with five-light traceried windows, pierced parapet with pinnacles. Upper register of five-light traceried windows, with flying buttresses between. Clasping buttresses terminating with pinnacles to angles. Two-stage tower with octagonal corner turrets terminating in pinnacles. Seven-light east window with four main registers, within straight-headed opening between four-stage piers with pinnacles. West front has central doorway with four centred arch, and spandrels carved with emblems of Passion. Carved oak doors (conserved 2003) were presented by Sir Henry Montague, Bishop Montague's brother, in 1617. Flanked by statues of saints with canopies over, and topped one of Henry VII carved by Sir George Frampton in c1902, battlemented parapet. Frame very large west window with seven lights and three transoms, centre mullions continue to apex. Whole supported by aisles, each with doorway with three centred head, and four light window over. Turrets decorated by ladders with angels climbing to heaven (reference to Bishop King's inspirational dream), and topped by two-panelled stages. Wall above west window has much weathered carving of more angels, and statue of seated Christ at apex (also by Sir George Frampton), pierced parapet with battlements, this last was added by Jackson in 1906. South aisle partly screened by low nine-bay range, War Memorial Cloister (Choir Vestry, and Abbey shop) added by Jackson, 1923-1927, and in form of monastic cloister (on part of site of Norman cloister which was much larger), four centred arches house four light windows with central king mullion, panelled aprons, battlemented parapet. INTERIOR: Interior also very uniform Perpendicular character despite being work of many years and hands. Low arcade with four-shafted piers carrying tall clerestory above four-centred arches. Uninterrupted view to east end. Fan-vaulted ceilings throughout, dating from various periods (see history below). Chantry chapel of Prior Bird to south of Chancel dates from 1515, with intricate fan vaulting. Crypt converted in 1990s to form Abbey Vaults visitor centre. Rere-arch of east window of south Choir aisle incorporates the sole surviving Norman arch. FITTINGS: Reredos of 1875; stained glass mainly by Clayton & Bell, east window of 1873; font of 1710 with 1604 font cover. Numerous monuments (many, until 1833, formerly affixed to piers). Organ and organ loft were designed by T.G. Jackson in 1912 HISTORY: A church existed here by the C8; King Edgar was crowned here in 973 by Dunstan of Canterbury as the first king of all England (see plaque on east end). In 1088 the Bishop of Wells removed his see to Bath, and commenced a new church, which extended considerably further to the east than the present building. The present church occupies the nine-bay nave of its Norman predecessor, which had stretched almost all way to Grand Parade balustrade to east (see tablet affixed at east end). Next to nothing remains of pre-1499 fabric. Bishop Oliver King (