Renaissance Bath

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The visitation of Bishop Oliver King from Wells in 1499 was to be the start of a transformation of the Bath Abbey Priory. The monastic establishment was judged to be morally lax and the medieval cathedral was decaying rapidly. Legend has it that a message came to the Bishop in a dream:

“Let an olive establish the Crown and let a King restore the Church”

He set about rebuilding the ruined church and reorganizing the Priory. It was decided to pull down what was left of the old Norman church and build a smaller one, the present Abbey, in its place.

It was to be the last of the Perpendicular Gothic Churches of England to be built, given the title “The Lantern of the West” because of the great expanse of 52 glass windows. Today, the Abbey Church of St. Peter and St. Paul has some of the finest fan vaulting in the country and it is second only to Westminster Abbey in the number of intricate memorials adorning its walls. The story of Bishop King’s dream is depicted in the masons’ art on the West front. The King, Henry VII, can be seen above the main West door. On the pillars either side, there is a Bishop’s mitre above an olive tree, surrounded by a crown.

The Dissolution of the Church

The 1534 Act of Supremacy saw Henry VIII take the place of the Pope as Head of the Church of England. The following year, Thomas Cromwell sent out commissioners to report on the revenues and righteousness of the monasteries. Bath escaped the initial suppression due to a series of well-placed bribes. However, Bath Abbey was eventually surrendered to the Crown by Prior Holloway and the monastic establishment was dissolved in 1539. The Priory had made the sensible move of bequeathing gifts of monastic property to local landowners so that the Crown would not confiscate them.

After the remaining valuables had been conveyed to the King, the church was offered to the City for 500 marks, but the offer was refused. As a consequence, the building was gutted. Looters removed the bells and sold the lead from the roof, the glass from the windows and the wood from the pews. The shell was sold to a private landowner and left to ruin. It was eventually returned to the City as a gift in 1560.

It was not until 1572 that some attempt was made to restore the battered church. Peter Chapman, a soldier from one of Bath’s great families, undertook initial efforts of renovation.  In 1574, Elizabeth I aided the cause by authorizing a nation-wide collection over seven years to pay for reroofing and reglazing. Her Godson, John Harrington, lived in Kelston and may have coerced her into doing this. It is certainly true that he was instrumental in the final restoration of the church, calling upon the support of Bishop Montague of Bath and Wells (1608-1616). The Bishop gave generously to the church fund, allowing the building to be completed.

The Rise of Tourism

The restoration of the Abbey was mirrored by the renovation of the baths. In 1576, John de Feckenham built the Leper’s Bath adjacent to the Hot Bath. The King’s Bath was embellished in 1578 and again in 1624. The New Bath was built in 1576 to provide cooler facilities for customers. It was renamed Queen’s Bath after Queen Anne of Denmark (wife of James I) visited in 1613 and 1615. By 1695, there were five baths in the City.

The 16^th Century was a time when Bath began to embrace the tourist trade over the woollen industry. As well as the attraction of the baths, sports became popular with the many visitors. The land south east of the Abbey was made into a bowling green and to the east of Kings Bath were five Real Tennis courts.

The middle and upper classes congregated in the west of the City, where the wind from the Mendip Hills blew away the city pollution. The Abbey Church House and Westgate House became places for Royalty and the fashionable. Even St. John’s Hospital fell victim to this new trend and turned over some of its almshouses to be used as lodgings for the visitors.

On 4^th September 1590, Queen Elizabeth I, granted the Charter of Incorporation to the City of Bath. This granted a Corporation Mayor, Aldermen and City Councillors authority over the City and was the foundation for the present system of local Government. They were given powers to make by-laws and to punish and imprison the people.

Bath in the Civil War

By 1642, the citizens of Bath became embroiled in the Civil War between the Cavaliers of Charles I and the Roundheads of Parliament. Bath became a Parliamentarian garrison and in 1643 the Battle of Lansdown took place between Sir William Waller, commander of the Parliamentary forces in Bath and Sir Charles Hopton, commander of the Royalist forces. Suffering heavy losses, the Royalists triumphed and took Lansdown Hill. There is now a stone monument marking the site.

Following the battle, large numbers of troops descended on Bath and the City was vandalized. The population of 2000 was overwhelmed and their homes and supplies were looted. Once again, the City had to rebuild its buildings and infrastructure.

The Path to Greatness

It was not until the restoration of the Monarchy under Charles II that Bath was given the impetus it required for its regeneration. The King visited Bath with his wife, Catharine of Braganza, to patronize the baths. It was during his reign that gaming was introduced and accepted on a large scale, paving the way for Bath to emerge as a centre for such pursuits during the 18^th century.