St Swithin's Church, Walcot

A thousand years on one site

The first church here was built soon after 971 and dedicated to Swithin, Bishop of Winchester. Its Saxon foundations lie beneath the crypt floor. Storms damaged that church in 1739; a replacement completed in 1742 was quickly outgrown as Georgian Bath expanded up the hill. John Palmer, architect of Lansdown Crescent, designed the present church, consecrated in 1777, then lengthened it and added the classical spire in 1790.

What to look for inside

The interior is known for its crowded marble wall monuments, ranging from multi-coloured late-Baroque pieces to restrained white-on-black tablets, many marking well-known residents of Georgian and Victorian Bath. The east window dates from 1958 and replaced one blown out in the 1942 bombing of Bath; it keeps the Ascension theme and shows the church at Christ's feet. A 2008–09 restoration opened up the interior and linked it to a rebuilt crypt.

Visiting today

St Swithin's is an active parish, so Sunday morning is a service rather than a sightseeing slot. The Honey Café runs in the building from Tuesday to Saturday, which makes a weekday visit easy to combine with a coffee. It sits at the top of Walcot Street, a short walk from the independent shops and cafés along that road and from the Georgian terraces of the upper town.

Highlights

• Bath's only remaining 18th-century parish church
• Designed by John Palmer, consecrated 1777, spire added 1790
• Saxon church foundations beneath the crypt
• Large collection of Georgian marble wall monuments
• The Honey Café on site

Good to know

• It is a working church: Sunday morning service starts at 10.30am, with coffee from 10am.
• The Honey Café is open Tuesday to Saturday.
• The church office is usually staffed Tuesday to Thursday.

Frequently asked questions