Why go

Bath Abbey stands right beside the Roman Baths, and together they make the most photographed view in the city. Christians have worshipped on this site for well over a thousand years: one of the Abbey’s windows shows King Edgar, the first king of all England, being crowned here in 973. The church you see today was begun in the early 1500s and is a working parish church, so services and concerts carry on alongside visitors. Inside, the scale and the light are the surprise, with walls that seem to be more glass than stone.

What to see

  • The fan-vaulted ceiling. The stone vault dates from the 1500s, but parts were not completed until the 1860s. The Abbey invites you to spot the difference.
  • The Great East Window. It tells the story of Jesus across 56 scenes. Badly damaged in the Second World War, it was restored by a father-and-son team in the 1950s.
  • The carved angels on the west front. Outside, stone angels climb ladders up the facade, and more carved angels appear inside.
  • The Birde Chapel. A small chapel with delicate stone carving, good for a quiet pause.
  • The Klais organ and north transept. The organ has about 4,000 pipes. The newly restored north transept is open again, with a repaired floor and the spiral stair the organists climb.
  • Wall memorials. Hundreds of tablets tell the stories of people who lived in or visited Georgian and Victorian Bath.
  • The Discovery Centre. A museum space covering the Abbey’s history and the people connected to it.

Plan your visit

The Abbey is open to visitors Monday to Friday from 10am to 5.30pm, Saturday from 10am to 6pm and Sunday from 1pm to 3.30pm, with last entry 30 minutes before closing. It closes to visitors during services, weddings and some events, and lists these variations on its website, so check on the day.

The Abbey’s visiting page gives ticket prices of £9 for adults, £7.50 for students and £5 for children aged 5 to 15, with 10% off for families; another of its pages still shows the older £8 adult price. Entry is free for Discovery Card holders, for residents of BA1 and BA2 postcodes with proof of address, and for carers. An audio guide costs £3.50. Buy at the Welcome Desk or online up to a month ahead. Luggage cannot be taken inside and there is no storage.

For the best view of Bath, book a Tower Tour, which runs Monday to Saturday. It climbs the spiral staircase past the bells and the clock room to the roof, with views across the Roman Baths and the Georgian city. A Tower Tour ticket also covers the Abbey floor and Discovery Museum, so you do not need both tickets.

Families

Alex’s Abbey Adventure Trail suits children aged 6 to 11, with a chance to dress up as King Edgar. Explorer backpacks for under-5s and for children with special educational needs are available from staff.

At Christmas

The Bath Christmas Market fills the streets around the Abbey from 26 November to 13 December 2026. Concerts listed for 2026 include The Christmas Orchestra on 30 November, Handel’s Messiah with Bath Choral Society on 4 and 5 December, and A Christmas Celebration with the Abbey choirs on 12 December. The Abbey had not published its own 2026 carol service dates when we checked; in past years some needed a free ticket, so watch its What’s On page.

Nearby

The Roman Baths entrance is across Abbey Church Yard. Parade Gardens, now free to enter, and Pulteney Bridge are a few minutes’ walk east.