Prior Park is a Neo-Palladian house that was designed by John Wood, the Elder, and built in the 1730s and 1740s for Ralph Allen on a hill overlooking Bath, Somerset, England.

The surrounding parkland had been laid out in 1100 but following the purchase of the land by Allen 11.3 hectares (28 acres) were established as a landscape garden.

Allen instructed John Padmire to build a wooden wagon-way from his mine on Combe Down which carried the stone down the hill, now known as Ralph Allen Drive, which runs beside Prior Park, to a wharf he constructed at Bath Locks on the Kennet and Avon Canal for onward transport to London.

[11] Bath stone is an Oolitic limestone comprising granular fragments of calcium carbonate laid down during the Jurassic period (195 to 135 million years ago).

An important feature of Bath stone is that it is a freestone, that is one that can be sawn or 'squared up' in any direction, unlike other rocks such as slate, which has distinct layers.

[9] The plans were influenced by drawings in Vitruvius Britannicus originally made by Colen Campbell for Wanstead House in Essex, which was yet to be built.

[6] In addition to the stone from the local quarries, material, including the grand staircase and plasterwork, from the demolished Hunstrete House were used in the construction.

[22][8] After William Beckford sold Fonthill Abbey, in 1822, he was looking about for a suitable new seat, Prior Park was his first choice: ""They wanted too much for it," he recalled later; "I should have liked it very much; it possesses such great capability of being made a very beautiful spot.

[22] Augustine Baines, a Benedictine, Titular Bishop of Siga and Vicar Apostolic of the Western District of England, was appointed to Bath in 1817.

[6][24] A gymnasium was also built in the 1830s including a courtyard for Fives,[25] and three barrel vaulted rooms on the first floor and a terrace roof.

It was bought in 1867 by Bishop William Hugh Joseph Clifford who founded a Roman Catholic Grammar School in the mansion.

[31] The East Wing was altered around 1830 when it was converted into a school, having included a brewhouse previously when a pedimented three-bay second floor was added by John Pensiston.

[33] In 1844 Joseph John Scoles created the Church of St Paul which, along with the remainder of the west wing, is Grade I listed.

Prior Park's 11.3 hectares (28 acres) landscape garden was laid out by the poet Alexander Pope between the construction of the house and 1764.

[38] The features in the gardens include a Palladian bridge (one of only 4 left in the world[39]), Gothic temple, gravel cabinet, Mrs Allen's Grotto,[40] ice house,[41] lodge[42] and three pools with curtain walls[43] plus a serpentine lake.

The Palladian bridge, which is a copy of the one at Wilton House,[6] was built by Richard Jones,[44] and has been designated as a Grade I listed building[45] and Scheduled Ancient Monument.

In November 2006, the large-scale restoration project began on the cascade, serpentine lake and Gothic temple in the Wilderness area[38] (as shown in special episode 28 of the Time Team).

The Palladian Bridge is also featured on the cover of the album Morningrise by Swedish progressive metal band Opeth released in 1996.