Advanced Studies in England - ASE

Home
United Kingdom
Bath
Advanced Studies in England - ASE

Directions Website

ASE is an academically rigorous study abroad programme based in the World Heritage City of Bath

29/10/2026

Welcome back to another installment of Rebuilding Medieval Bath! This week, we’re talking about the star of Bath, both in the past and in the present…the great Abbey that sits in the center of the city. Known officially as The Abbey Church of St. Peter and St. Paul, there has been a church on this site for more than a thousand years. Because there is so much history to cover, I’m covering the Bath Abbey in two parts. The second part will be posted next week, so stay tuned!

In the 7th century, in approximately 675 CE, Osiric, the King of Hwicce, granted the Abbess Berta 100 hides (an archaic unit of land meant to represent the amount of land sufficient to support a household) to establish a convent on the site of the Abbey. This monastery was captured by King Offa of the nearby kingdom of Mercia and rebuilt. Very little is known of what this iteration of the church may have looked like. In 973 CE, King Edgar the Peaceful chose the site for his coronation, where he became the first king of “All England.” He encouraged the monks at the abbey to adopt the Rule of St. Benedict. The Abbey would remain a Benedictine Monastery until the Dissolution of the Monasteries by King Henry VIII.

Bath became a center of immense conflict during the power struggle between the sons of the Norman William the Conqueror after his death. When William II Rufus succeeded, he granted the city of Bath to John of Tours. As I briefly mentioned last week, John of Tours became the Bishop of Wells and the Abbot of Bath. In 1090 CE, he transferred the seat of the bishopric to Bath Abbey from Wells, becoming the first Bishop of Bath and raising the Abbey to cathedral status.

With the elevation of status, John of Tours felt it necessary to build a larger, more elaborate building. He planned a new, massive cathedral on the site of the Anglo-Saxon Abbey. The building experienced setbacks after a fire devastated the half-finished structure; however, it was ultimately finished between 1148 and 1161 CE, measuring 101 meters long.

Next week: The demolition of the structure, the construction of the new Abbey, Henry VIII, and the restoration of the Abbey!

Til next time, fare thee as well as I fare.

27/10/2026

Have nothing to read this Halloween? Let us conjure up some suggestions… 🎃

This October, Dr Tabitha Stanmore, our Witchcraft and Magic in Late Medieval and Early Modern England seminar tutor, sent us her top witchy book recommendations. 👻

What is your perfect read for spooky season?

25/10/2026

Hellooo ASE community! I’m Nicolia and I’m so very excited to be hosting an ASE Instagram takeover this week!

I’m a junior at William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia and I’m double majoring in English and Government. Here in Bath, I’m taking Women Lunacy and Literature, Jane Austen, UK Politics and Gov, and an Advanced Tutorial on the Brontes! Outside of academics, I love long walks and occasional runs, playing volleyball, shopping for fun jewelry (I’m a big fan of my current ring stack), and listening to music (my all time favorites are Tame Impala and Searows but I’ve been loving The Innocence Project lately).

Stay tuned for my takeover during our first week back from mid-semester break! See y’all tomorrow 🕺

22/10/2026

📣 Let’s catch up, ASE Community!

We love hearing about new jobs, publications, academic achievements, hobbies, reunions, births, marriages, and any other life updates that you are happy for us to include in our next ASE Annual.

Send us a couple of sentences and a photo (if appropriate) or a link to a publication, and we’ll add it to our Community Updates page. 🙌

18/10/2026

Hii im Bella and i will be doing the Instagram take over this week!! Im from Colombia and im a student at F&M, majoring in classics and with a minor in literature!!! Im so excited to show you all what i do during our break week. 🩷

15/10/2026

Welcome back to Rebuilding Medieval Bath, with yours truly!

Tucked away in the corner of the Parade Gardens you will find the ruins of what was once the Monk’s Mill. It’s unassuming, and unless you are seeking it out, you won’t notice it within the gardens. Yet, these cobbled ruins are older than the Abbey itself— they are mentioned in the Domesday Survey of 1087. By 1279, the Abbey officially held them. It was likely part of either a corn mill or a tucking mill, because at its largest, the Monk’s Mill was a double mill, featuring one of each.

One of the stones, has a carving of what appears to be St. Peter’s Keys, another tie to the Abbey, which is officially the Abbey Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul. Biblically, the keys are the keys to the kingdom of Heaven, given to Peter by Jesus. This carving is just another testament to the ecclesiastical origins of Bath and the importance of monastic life within the city’s early years.

Very little is left of the mill today, only about 6.5 feet (or 2 meters if you’re fancy!). It was almost entirely destroyed in a fire in 1884, and what survived was cleared away to create the Parade Gardens. Yet they are one of the only visible remains of Anglo-Saxon Bath, which was leveled by the bishop John of Tours after he moved the seat of the diocese from Wells to Bath upon the completion of the massive Norman Abbey (which was destroyed in 1499 and downsized to the current Abbey).

If you’re looking to see the ruins, walk towards the Colonnade, and you’ll see this small remaining corner of the water-powered industry surrounded by a wildflower bed.

Until next time, fare thee as well as I fare!

08/10/2026

Every ASE House has a story–and a few glow-ups along the way! ✨

Our houses change over time, but the rich history behind them is written by ASE students when they become residents of Bath. 🥰 Take a look back at Nunes and North Parade throughout the years!

Which ASE House did you call home, and what’s your favourite memory from your time there?

Share your stories in the comments below, and stay tuned for details on how you can write the Next Chapter of Nunes House...

05/10/2026

Pub, pints, and push-ups for this year’s Annual Reunion in D.C. 🍻

Swipe to see ASErs of cohorts from 1993 to 2025 celebrating our community (and Jonathan’s Big Birthday) together.

A huge THANK YOU to everyone who attended! 🙌

We can’t wait for next year’s celebration….

04/10/2026

Hi everyone!!!! My name is Annie and I am beyond excited to be taking over the ASE Instagram this week!! Yay 🥳🥳

I’m a junior English major at Vassar College and I’m originally from Kansas City, Missouri. I’ve absolutely loved being in Bath so far and had so much fun traveling to other places around the UK!

This semester I’m taking The Power of Fantasy: Encounters with British Children’s Literature, Queering the Gothic, British Musical Theatre from “My Fair Lady” to “Matilda,” and doing an internship placement at Mr. B’s Emporium of Reading Delights. I’m also working in ASE’s library as the library assistant.

Follow along on the ASE story for my takeover!

03/10/2026

3 out of 4 Weeks of Bingo! Swipe to see Matias’s sushi order at (Iya Sushi & Noodle Kitchen ). 🍣

Before ASE in the USA season comes to an end, Lauren joins us for one more week, and of course, you have a chance to create a Bingo Card for her!

Don’t forget to pop by the feed on Monday - we’ll post a special Annual Reunion round-up. 🙌

Address

Nelson House, 2 Pierrepont Street
Bath
BA11

Website

https://linktr.ee/studyabroadbath

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Advanced Studies in England - ASE posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.