Web Foundry, Author at Bath Abbey

Unveiling the Updated Saint Alphege Window Design

Web Foundry — Thu, 13 Nov 2025 07:00:40 +0000

Saint Alphege was a man of principle, of peace, and of remarkable moral courage. His witness is not confined to the past - it is as urgent and inspiring today as ever. The new Saint Alphege Window will ensure that his story is not only remembered but reimagined in light and colour — a visible reminder to all who enter Bath Abbey of what it means to lead with courage and to live with purpose.

To create a new stained glass window for Bath Abbey that both honours Saint Alphege and is historically accurate in its depiction of this beloved saint, commissioned artist Neil Ireson has consulted extensively with Alphege experts, including Dr Giles Mercer and Abbot Geoffrey Scott of Douai Abbey.

This consultation process has yielded fascinating details about Saint Alphege and has led to subtle yet significant refinements to the stained glass window design, which we’re delighted to share with you. For instance, through the advice of Abbot Geoffrey Scott of Douai Abbey we learned that Saint Alphege, like all monks of that time, would have been clean-shaven, fully tonsured, and wore a particular form of black habit.

Neil has incorporated these historically accurate details into a refined design for the stained glass window, ensuring Bath Abbey honours Saint Alphege with a precise and sensitive depiction. Neil has also made nuanced additions to the window’s design which communicate the richness and complexity of Saint Alphege’s story, including the inclusion of The Archbishop of Canterbury’s coat of arms, ox bones and an axe at Saint Alphege’s feet, and Viking ships in the distance.

As befits Bath Abbey’s call to be ‘A House of Prayer for all Nations’, Neil has updated the window design to ensure that the border and Planet Earth are representative of all, using cutting-edge AI technology to produce non-specific creative interpretations of flags and the Earth so that no particular country is given prominence and all global citizens will feel equally welcomed to this House of Prayer.

Neil Ireson's proposed design for the Saint Alphege stained glass window

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Fundraising Update: A Remarkable £33,403 Donated by Community to Saint Alphege Window Appeal

Web Foundry — Thu, 13 Nov 2025 07:00:06 +0000

Since launching our £90,000 fundraising appeal in July, we’ve received donations from so many generous people across the community, including members of the congregation and visitors to the Abbey, Bathonians, Trusts and Foundations, and local philanthropists.

Our wonderful community has donated an extraordinarily generous £33,403 since the appeal’s launch, which is absolutely incredible! We are so very grateful to our donors for their extraordinary generosity and enthusiastic support for the Saint Alphege Window – thank you so much.

If it is within your means to support us at this time, we invite you to join us on a once-in-a-lifetime journey to honour Saint Alphege in the city and the church where his story began. To create the stunningly beautiful Saint Alphege Window, we need your help to raise a further £56,597.

With your support, Bath Abbey will honour Saint Alphege with an extraordinary new piece of Christian art, created by the phenomenally talented Neil Ireson – not only celebrating Alphege within our lifetimes as a pre-eminent figure in the history of this iconic church and the city of Bath, but also communicating Alphege’s timeless message of peace, generosity and justice hundreds of years from now, to the generations that will follow us.

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Photo Caption: Commissioned artist, Neil Ireson, shares details of his creative process with supporters at a recent Saint Alphege Window Appeal event, held under Peace Doves by Peter Walker Sculptor.
Photographer: Betty Bhandari.

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Brownsword charitable foundation presents £175,000 cheque to Bath Abbey

Web Foundry — Tue, 22 Jan 2019 10:20:28 +0000

Bath Abbey has been presented with a cheque for £175,000 towards the Footprint project by well-known local philanthropist, Andrew Brownsword.

The Abbey’s Rector, The Reverend Canon Guy Bridgewater, met with Mr and Mrs Brownsword and to receive the cheque which forms part of The Brownsword Charitable Foundation’s pledge of half a million pounds in match funding towards Bath Abbey’s Footprint project. The pledge is triggered every time someone makes a donation to the project.

In 2018, the Abbey raised around £175,000 from individual donors through a variety of fundraising activities including abseiling down the Abbey Tower and the Great Bath Bake Sale that has been match funded by The Brownsword Charitable Foundation, bringing the total raised in 2018 for Footprint to £350,000.

Essential works are currently being carried out inside the Abbey’s East end, as part of the Footprint project, to repair the collapsing floor and to install underfloor eco-heating that will be powered by Bath’s famous hot springs. Building work is also taking place along the south side of the Abbey to create space underground for new and improved facilities, as well as in the adjacent terrace row of houses in Kingston Buildings.

The Footprint project is a £19.3 million programme of restoration, building works and interpretation that will secure the Abbey’s physical future and improve its hospitality, worship and service to the city. Of this total, the Abbey has just over £1 million to raise largely thanks to a grant of £10.7 million from the Heritage Lottery Fund, and additional funds from private individuals and trusts, the Abbey’s own congregation and visitors.

The Revd Canon Guy Bridgewater, Rector of Bath Abbey, said: “We are extremely grateful to the Brownswords for their generosity. By pledging half a million in match funding towards the Footprint Appeal, they are giving added motivation and a real impetus to our fundraising appeal. With the best part of £1 million left to raise, there is still a mammoth task ahead. I understand that the hardest part of raising funds for any project is often the last and final hurdle. So, while we’re immensely grateful to everyone who has supported the Footprint project so far, we still need to raise this final amount in order for the project to succeed and, if you don’t already know about the Abbey, I urge you to find out more about how our Footprint project will benefit those in Bath as well as visitors to the city.”

Andrew Brownsword said: “The Abbey plays a vital role in the city, making a significant impact on those who live, work and visit Bath. Many people feel a connection with the Abbey, whether through worship and prayer, its beautiful music or architecture, or simply by popping in for a few moments of quiet. The Footprint project is essential in ensuring the Abbey is able to carry on these contributions to city life; as the city of Bath grows and changes, so must the Abbey.

“We can see from the huge amount of care and work that has already gone into the first stage of the Footprint project, that this programme of change will maintain, make the most of and improve this magnificent building and its resources. We feel now is the right time to offer our support so that we can inspire other individuals, businesses and trusts to help this ground-breaking project that is much needed in order for the Abbey to continue to inspire and bring lasting benefits to future generations.”
The Abbey will remain open as usual during the Footprint project with Behind the Scenes tours on offer. These tours will give members of the public a chance to find out why the floor is collapsing, see the complex repair and restoration work, as well as some of the discoveries the archaeologists have found along the way. Tours usually run on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays and last an hour and 15 minutes.

Find out more about Footprint

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