Bath Abbey

I've really enjoyed having some time off while I'm job-hunting. It has given me the opportunity to be a tourist in my own town, and, as any tourist knows, no trip to Bath would be complete without a trip to Bath Abbey.


Impressive, no? The exterior doesn't have quite as many gargoyles as the cathedral at Notre Dame (which I LOVE), but my favourite part of the facade is the climbing angels:


Inspired by a dream that Oliver King had - he was the bishop of Bath at the time, and he started work re-building the abbey in 1499 (there have been several variations of the building in its time but this is the one that you see today). The angels are climbing up and down a ladder which comes out of an olive tree, for some reason.

Inside, more treats await. Bath Abbey is famous for its fan vaulted ceiling:


If you pay for the tour of the tower you get to climb 212 steps right up to the top of the bell tower, see the bell ringing room (and ring a bell yourself! Yes, I did!), sit behind the clock face, and stand on top of this awesome ceiling. We were standing right above the diamond on the right.


I love the fact that they have angels above the choir stands:


I think my favourite thing, though, is that the walls of the abbey are absolutely covered in memorials:








The glass frames are part of the brilliant Bath Abbey Diptychs project by Sue Symons. Each one tells a story about Jesus in two frames.


On the left, she has written them out in the most beautiful script...


...and on the right, she has illustrated each story with a fabric collage:


Stunning details in each and every one. If you've already been to Bath Abbey you should definitely pop back and view the exhibition, and if you haven't ever been to Bath Abbey, then come on down!