Bath Abbey will be opening their new Discovery Centre, the final phase of the Footprint Project, on 7 March 2023. Located beneath the Abbey, the Discovery Centre is a unique heritage space that will allow visitors to peek behind the scenes of life at the Abbey and delve into the building’s history. Pushed back due to the effects of the pandemic, this opening marks the completion of the Footprint Project and the beginning of an exciting new chapter for the Abbey.
Alongside an extensive timeline of the Abbey’s history, historical artefacts, some of which have never been seen by the public, will be on display. To maintain their high standard as a leading local heritage attraction, and to remain a sustainable place for worship, the Abbey is introducing a new business model to cope with the demands of enhancing and maintaining the Abbey for current and future generations of visitors, and to help with the adverse impact that the pandemic has left upon the tourism industry. When the Discovery Centre opens the Abbey will be moving from its suggested £5 entry donation to a £6.50 admission fee. Local residents and those visiting to pray, worship and attend services will not need to pay the admission fee.
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 charge, and will continue to be offered access to areas for private prayer and pastoral care from chaplains.
Nathan Ward, Manager of the Footprint Project says of the Discovery Centre: “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. Getting to this point has been a huge undertaking and we are very grateful to our excellent team of local designers and suppliers who have contributed to create this unique and exciting new facility.”
The Revd Canon Guy Bridgewater, Rector of Bath Abbey says: “The opening of the Discovery Centre marks an important new chapter in the life of the Abbey, and a wonderful resource as we seek to live and tell the good news of Jesus with the city of Bath and its visitors. We are keen to be a Church that is always there for our local Bath residents, and that offers a welcoming spiritual home for all who come here to pray. As our visitors from further afield gradually recover in number, we will be keeping our offer to them under careful review - and we are thrilled by the exciting upgrade that our new Discovery Centre and Abbey visitor resources will now bring to enhance their experience in Bath.”
Find out more about the Discovery Centre on Bath Abbey's website.