During our brief visit to Bath, we toured the Abbey. The grounds of the Abbey have a 1300 year…read morehistory with establishment of a convent. The current building was built in 1499 in a Gothic style with additions and repairs made through time. The fan vaulted ceiling (added in the 1500's) is beautiful. Over 3000 people are buried in the floor of the Abbey but the actual number of markers are 891. An additional 635 memorials line the walls of the Abbey, telling stories of the people of Bath. I was touched reading these stories. The Abbey, like many others in the U.K., suffered extensive damage during the Reformation. The monks were dispelled during that time and the Abbey became a local Church of England restored by the people of Bath. The building suffered damage again during the bombing Blitz of WWII and required restoration. Very little of the stained glass is original. Admission to the Abbey was £9. An audio tour is available and a pamphlet with tour stop information. For £18, a guided tour of the tower is available, but we didn't have time for that tour. In the basement is a small museum that houses the chronology of the site and some artifacts. A gift shop featuring local goods is accessible to all visitors. On the outside of the building, damage by vandalism to many of the figures over the doors is apparent. The building has endured through some tough times. I hesitate to mention the minor presence of modern clutter throughout the Abbey. For me, the clutter distracted from the history of the building. But the church is active for worship by local residents. The Abbey is well worth a visit if you like history and architecture. Plan an hour plus and wear comfortable walking shoes. Photos are allowed. Restrooms are available.

The Bath Abbey is still an active church that is still quite popular with many people and they also…read moredo online services. I have heard of this place a long time ago and have been here three times on different occasions and I always feel like there is so much history and also calmness here. The area is beautiful and the building is a wonder.

Welcoming and community driven cafe. They took this church and created something whimsical and…read moreunique. I was just there so the interior was decked out in Christmas fair. Mostly older patrons who appear to come often. Many were groups of friends who bring games to play and I talked to many who have been coming for years. They had a childcare or play areas for parents to sit and play with their kids as there was carpeting and children's interactive games and such. About a quarter of the space was dedicated to a fund raiser which helped raise funds for 17 local charities. They were selling packages of Christmas cards and ornaments. I bought some items myself. Even being a church it didn't feel downright religiously inclined. All were welcomed and no push of any religion was obvious. Such a brilliant idea to upscale a space that may go empty when not in use and transform it into such a community driven space. I loved it. I had a peppermint mocha with my partner as we needed a break to sit and catch a break from all the hills in bath. Ordering and seating wasn't as obvious when we got there. They had limited space and you needed to stake out an empty area as some seats and sections of tables have numbers so as to indicate to the cashier. This created a scramble for my partner to run around and find and empty area and then wave across church to the cashier as to where we would be. Luckily the cashier knew what number it was from memory. I think a simply sigh indicating maybe the steps needed for this. Honestly giving out numbers like they do at a restaurant may be more efficient. All in all it was a fun experience and I wish we had this in the states. Such a novel idea to transform a church like this.

This place confused me. The signage said "Church and Cafe" which seemed off so I had to check it…read moreout. It ended up actually being a...church which was primarily a cafe at least the time I was there. The main church area was the seating area for the cafe and it was busy. I grabbed a coffee and snack and enjoyed my short stay here.

This is a spectacular sight with the tall spire which you can see from the train as you arrive and…read morefrom around the town. It is beautiful inside and I spent some zen time inside by myself. Only downside is that there were some druggies hanging around the church, so watch out for that.

St John's tall steeple and spire is one of the landmarks…read morevisible from the train as you go through Bath: at 222ft high, it is the tallest in the city. This large church is a confident statement of faith, and an equally emphatic lesson in the Gothic Revival in this otherwise large Georgian city. The church was commissioned by the Benedictines and built in 1861-3 to the designs of Charles Francis Hansom (1817-1888) and his son Edward Joseph Hansom (1842-1900). They adopted a flamboyant Decorated Gothic design, almost French in character exemplified particularly in the rose windows in the transepts yet the spire owes more to English precedents. The church is built of rough-faced Bath stone, and has a large aisled nave, with clerestory, transepts, an apsed chancel and side chapels. The interior has pink Devon Granite piers with foliated capitals. The decoration throughout is of high quality, with extensive use of marble and alabaster. The glass and the impressive iron screen in front of the chancel are by Hardman. In the north-west apse is a reliquary, also designed by Charles Hansom, containing the relics of the martyr, St Justina, donated in 1871 after many years in the possession of the Borghesi family.

So, when I knew I was planning a trip to London, I knew I had to schedule a tour to this location…read more The Roman Baths are located in the city of Bath. A beautiful city with so many breathtaking views. The site is located in the middle of the city surrounded by stores, restaurants, and other must see locations. I highly recommend booking this tour because you can learn so much and will learn about the Roman history of the baths. There is a self-guided tour that you can go as you wish. There is so much to see and so much information along the walls. Make sure to bring comfortable shoes since the ground can get a bit uneven throughout the tour and make sure you see the beautiful baths throughout the tour. Such an impressive experience and if you are in London, I recommend taking a day trip or two to visit. You will be mesmerized and taken back in time.

We came here as part of a tour and are glad we did. I didn't know much about the Roman Baths…read morebeforehand, but now I do. It is set in the middle of a quaint town named Bath. We had pre-bought tickets for a specific entry time, but there were tickets available at the door as well. I wouldn't chance it though. The line was short to get in at our time and the audio guide is included as part of the admission price. made the tour interesting and the facts provided were the perfect amount of detail. There was a kid's version too which was great! We were there a little over an hour and at the end you can taste some of the bath water, which was disgusting!!