▁mon astic ▁house ▁at ▁Bath , ▁probably ▁using ▁the ▁w alled ▁area ▁as ▁its ▁prec inct . ▁The ▁Ang lo - S ax on ▁poem ▁known ▁as ▁The ▁Ru in ▁may ▁describe ▁the ▁appearance ▁of ▁the ▁Roman ▁site ▁about ▁this ▁time . ▁King ▁Off a ▁of ▁Mer cia ▁gained ▁control ▁of ▁this ▁monaster y ▁in ▁ 7 8 1 ▁and ▁re built ▁the ▁church , ▁which ▁was ▁dedicated ▁to ▁St . ▁Peter . ▁By ▁the ▁ 9 th ▁century ▁the ▁old ▁Roman ▁street ▁pattern ▁had ▁been ▁lost , ▁and ▁Bath ▁had ▁become ▁a ▁royal ▁possession ; ▁King ▁Alfred ▁laid ▁out ▁the ▁town ▁af resh , ▁leaving ▁its ▁south - e astern ▁quadr ant ▁as ▁the ▁ab bey ▁prec inct . ▁ ▁Norman , ▁Med ieval , ▁T ud or , ▁and ▁Stuart ▁▁ ▁Bath ▁Ab bey ▁was ▁founded ▁in ▁ 1 4 9 9 ▁on ▁the ▁site ▁of ▁an ▁ 8 th - century ▁church . ▁The ▁original ▁Ang lo - S ax on ▁church ▁was ▁pulled ▁down ▁after ▁ 1 0 6 6 , ▁and ▁a ▁grand ▁c athedral ▁dedicated ▁to ▁Saint ▁Peter ▁and ▁Saint ▁Paul ▁was ▁begun ▁on ▁the ▁site ▁by ▁John ▁of ▁T ours , ▁Bishop ▁of ▁Bath ▁and ▁Well s , ▁around ▁ 1 0 9 0 ; ▁however , ▁only ▁the ▁amb ul atory ▁was ▁complete ▁when ▁he ▁died ▁in ▁December ▁ 1 1 2 2 . ▁The ▁half - fin ished ▁c athedral ▁was ▁dev ast ated ▁by ▁fire ▁in ▁ 1 1 3 7 , ▁but