Plans for urgent repairs, a song school and even heated floors are now set to become a reality, and the Abbey is appealing to visitors for a final fundraising push.

1,200 year legacy

Christian worship has been practiced on the site for more than 1,200 years, including an Anglo-Saxon monastery, a Norman cathedral and today’s Grade I listed Bath Abbey. As a result, the cathedral houses a significant collection of artifacts and archives.

Song, discovery and eco-heat

Another of Bath’s heritage gems will play a key role in the transformation of the Abbey. Energy from the city’s famous hot springs will power an eco-friendly hydrothermal heating system for the building’s floor which will also be undergoing some vital restoration work.

As well as urgent conservation work, the project will create a Discovery Centre and a Song School.

The Reverend Prebendary Edward Mason, Rector of Bath Abbey, said: “The Abbey has been at the centre of the Bath community for over 1,200 years and, thanks to HLF, Footprint will enable it to continue serve current and future generations for hundreds of years to come.” 

Footprint for the future

Bath Abbey needs to raise a further £1.5m for the Footprint project. A campaign for visitors and supporters of the Abbey to raise £50,000 of that target has been set up on the project’s LocalGiving page with Bath Percent Club pledging to double each donation.

Charles Curnock added: “Bath Abbey belongs to all the people of the city and we hope very much that local residents will want to leave their own footprint here for hundreds of years to come.”