A great discovery

to life the history of the building charge, and will continue to be offered access to areas for private prayer and pastoral care from chaplains. Regular prayers throughout the day will remain, as will the current roster of services, details of which can be found on the Bath Abbey website.

The stories shared in the Discovery Centre acknowledge Bath Abbey’s importance within the local and wider communities. Ensuring that this integral part of English heritage is preserved for future generations is a key consideration in the life of the Abbey. From its roots as a Benedictine Monastery, through the Saxon, Norman and Tudor eras, Bath Abbey recognises it has a duty to share this awe-inspiring building with future generations.

Every visitor can now contribute to the preservation, conservation, and continued work of an important site of living history within the city of Bath. With the Discovery Centre and guided tours offering an enriched experience and understanding, Bath Abbey can continue to fulfil its mission of ‘Living and Telling the Good News of Jesus with the City of Bath and its visitors’. n

Bath Abbey’s recently opened Discovery Centre is a unique heritage space that allow visitors to look behind the scenes of life at the Abbey and delve into the building’s history. The opening hails the final phrase of the Abbey’s Footprint Project, a £21 million programme of work that received over £11 million from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

The Discovery Centre is an accessible space that is designed to bring the Abbey’s history to life. Objects from the Abbey’s archives are on display in this custom-built area constructed within the ancient vaults beneath the Abbey building. Fascinating videos, replica period costumes and exciting interactive exhibits, including one that allows you to explore all parts of the Abbey’s dramatic facade, immerse visitors in the history of the building and discover the stories of people connected to the Abbey.

Alongside an extensive timeline of the Abbey’s history, visitors can also see historical artefacts. These include Anglo-Saxon crosses; Medieval carved stone fragments; historic silver; and the Benefactors’ Book, a record of money and materials given to the Abbey for its reconstruction after the Reformation.

The Discovery Centre is adjacent to the Abbey’s new Learning Room, which is regularly used by visiting primary and secondary schools to learn about subjects ranging from ‘Bath Abbey through the ages: over 1000 years of fascinating history’ to ‘a day in the life of a Medieval Monk’. This room is currently being used as part of the

‘warm spaces’ initiative across the city of Bath and for the provision of English lessons for Ukrainian refugees.

Nathan Ward, Manager of the Footprint Project says: “Opening the Discovery Centre is a huge achievement. It is the result of many years of hard work, and we are very pleased to be welcoming people into these new spaces where we can display important artefacts for the first time and provide our visitors with a new ‘interactive’ perspective on the history of the Abbey.”

The Abbey has also introduced free 30-minute guided tours for visitors throughout the day. These are distinct from the popular Tower Tours, which are paid guided tours to the top of the Bath Abbey tower. Bespoke guided tours for school pupils can also be booked, and these are ideal for Key Stage 1-4 classes.

To maintain its high standard as a leading local heritage attraction and to remain a sustainable place for worship, the Abbey has introduced a new business model to cope with the demands of enhancing and maintaining the building for current and future generations of visitors, and to help with the adverse impact that the pandemic has left upon the tourism industry. The Abbey has moved from its suggested £5 entry donation to a £6.50 admission fee. Local residents and those visiting to pray, worship and attend services do not need to pay.

Bath Abbey remains primarily a dedicated place of worship for its congregation and the international Christian community. Those who visit to worship will be welcomed, at no