Victorian pews sacrificed as Bath Abbey has the builders in
FOR more than a century, worshippers at Bath Abbey have rested their mortal flesh in quiet prayer and contemplation on its sturdy yet ornate Victorian pews.
But those pews, designed by the great architect of the age, Sir George Gilbert Scott, are now to be torn up to make way for underfloor heating. Many will be replaced by modern seating.
The move has prompted anger among conservationists and admirers of Victorian design and architecture. The Victorian Society believes removing them would have “an extremely detrimental effect” on the magnificent Gothic building in the centre of Bath. Christopher Costelloe, director of the Victorian Society said: “Bath Abbey is one of the best examples of Victorian church restoration by perhaps the era’s most prominent architect, Sir George Gilbert Scott.
“There is no doubt that removing these pews would harm this Grade Ilisted church’s significance, and there is no need for such drastic changes in a thriving church when other options are available.
“The last decade or so has seen Victorian church schemes ripped out all over the country and once they’re gone, they’re gone for good. We urge the public to speak out against these unnecessary changes.”
Bath Abbey said some of the pews – which were installed between 1859 and 1874 as part of Scott’s restoration of the abbey – will be reinstated once the work is complete.
The work, carried out as part of the Abbey Footprint project, includes repairs to a collapsing floor and the installation of a heating system using the natural Bath waters. It will cost £19.4 million, helped by donations and a £10.7 million Heritage Lottery grant.
Charles Curnock, Abbey Footprint director, said chairs would provide “flexibility for worship and the opportunity to host many more events, and will also reveal the historic fabric which has been hidden for the last 150 years”.