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 | London Westminster Abbey Reviews | Tips 1 - 10 of 228 |  |
It is quite surprising that few people realise that London is in fact two cities - because it has two Anglican Cathedrals.
The City of London has St Pauls, but Westminster Abbey is the centrepiece to the City of Westminster.
The Abbey itself (with the exception of the Marriage of Charles & Diana which was at St Paul's) is at the heart of the nation's life with nearly all Coronations, Royal funerals and weddings taking place here.
The place is high on many tourist agendas, but if you are a bit jaded by seeing cathedrals then at least consider taking a look at the Abbey's USP (unique selling point) : Poet's corner.
Not all on the list (e.g Shakespere) are buried or have their remains here, whilst some (because of the lively exploits) only gained a place recently : Such as Byron.
I've included the full list below, and as you can see it includes many of the 'greats' of English Literature, plus many that philistines like me have never heard of !
Adam Addison Anstey Argyll Arnold Atkyns Auden Austen
Barrow Barton Benson Birch Black Booth Brontes Browning Burns
Busby Butler Byron Caedmon Camden
Campbell Carroll Cary Casaubon Caxton
Chambers Chaucer Chiffinch Coleridge
Cowley Coxe Cumberland D'Avengant
D. Thomas Dickens Drayton Dryden Fox
Eliot G Garrick Goldsmith Gordon Grabe
Gray Grote Hales Handel Hardy Hauley
Heather Hokins Hope Horneck James
Johnson Jonson Keats Keble Kipling
Lawrence Lind-Goldschmidt Litlyngton
Longfellow Macaulay Mackenzie
Macpherson Masefield Mason Milton
Murray Osbaldeston Outram Parr Philips
Pringle Prior Reith Roberts Robinson Ruskin
Saint-Evremond Scott Shadwell Shakespeare
Sharp Shelly Sheridan Simpson South
Southey Spenser Spottiswoode T.S. Eliot
Tait Taylor Tennyson Thackeray Thirwall
Thomson Triplet Tudor Vincent Wetenhall
Wordsworth Wyatt Leave a Comment
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Althought I lived in London for over a year, I only visited Westminster when friends or relatives visited. My mom insisted not only on visiting during touring hours, but also on attending several services, including Christmas Eve.
We found the tours to be excellent, though by the time you pay admission and then the tour cost, it can get a bit expensive, especially for a family. The tour also takes quite a chunk of your day.
Now for the positive reasons for taking a tour. First of all, like many other churches in England without the history or background, all you get is the beautiful architecture. This is adequate for most, but after paying 7.5 pounds, you might as well pay a few more to learn what you are looking at. Besides giving an indepth history, the tour also takes you into a few places that are inaccessible to the rest of the public. Our tour guide also arranged for anyone in the tour group to sit in the choir boxes for the evening choir which my mom was thrilled about. With small tour groups they can manage to do this for some evening songs.
If you dont have time for a tour and you want to avoid the entrance fee, find out when the services are, dress appropriately, and confidently walk up to the main gate and say you are there for such and such service. They immediately let you in while hordes of other tourists stand around trying to figure out your secret. We did this three time and even with our American accents, they immediately opened the doors as services are generally open to the public.
For service times, touring times, and entrance prices, check out the website that has extensive details. Leave a Comment
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For almost one thousand years, Westminister Abbey has been the setting for much of London's ceremonies such as Royal Weddings, Coronations, and Funeral Services.
I personally think that it is one of the grandest pieces of architecture in the capital. It's an awesome and vast place that gleams white and pink outside but seems darker inside.
In addition, the Abbey is the parish church of the Royal Family, when in residence at Buckingham Palace. Thus, it is a Royal Peculiar (not under control of the Archbishop of Canterbury but under direct control of the Queen).
It is symbolically the entire nation's church and almost museum-like, considering the large amount of history associated with it.
I especially enjoyed seeing Poet's Corner located in the south transept because it commemorates famous authors such as Shakespeare, Milton, Chaucer (also buried here), Shelley, Dickens, & Keats as well as many others.
The Tomb of the Unknown Warrior of WWI resides here, a very poignant tomb despite its "ordinary" look.
I remember seeing Elizabeth II's Coronation at Westminister Abbey via TV in 1953. As an adolescent, I was mystified by the grandeur. At that time, I gushed about its beauty; when I saw it 40 years later, I felt the same.
Allow several hours & include seeing St. Margaret's Church & Jewel Tower.
If you love architecture as I do, then make sure you don't miss a visit to the Abbey.
Warning: no photographs inside!
Free admittance
Open: 9:00 am-3:45 pm, Mon-Friday Leave a Comment
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This architectually magnificent masterpiece of the 13th-16th Centuries has been the site of the coronations of all of Britain's monarchs apart from two, since the crowning of William the Conquerer in 1066. It is choc-a-block with statues, effigies, and monuments to countless Medieval kings and queens who are entombed or have memorials here. It is also where many visitors pay pilgrimage to The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
Westminister Abbey Leave a Comment
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located in central london westminster abbey is one of the most beautiful churches in england. westminster abbey was commissioned by edward the confessor in 1050 AD. the abbey has been expanded over the years and it's most recent addition is the west front towers built in 1745. the abbey houses the tombs of english monarchs and famous notables. edward the confessor and queen elizabeth I are entombed here. near edward the confessor's tomb is the coronation chair, constructed in 1301 it is where english monarchs have been crowned since 1308. the poet's corner contains the tombs and memorials of england's literary greats. the charter house built in the 13th century contains very interesting medieval tiles and stained glass. the abbey is a must see sight when visiting london.
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Founded by Edward the Confessor in 1065, the present day WESTMINSTER ABBEY was largely built by Henry III in the 13th century.
Westminster Abbey holds a unique position in English history as both the burial place and crowning of most English Sovereigns, including the coronation of William the Conqueror and Queen Elizabeth II.
This magnificent Abbey on Parliament Square, houses countless memorials to illustrious public figures. Attractions include the Cloisters, Chapter House and Westminster Abbey Museum .
The North Entrance of Westminster Abbey is the Visitor's Entrance ( shown in small pix ).
Admission 8.00
Child 11-16 6.00
Child under 11 free Leave a Comment
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A ten minute walk from the Houses of Parliament will bring you to Westminster Abbey, that venerable British institution. The first historic abbey on this site was built in 1050 by King Edward the Confessor, but the present Gothic style structure dates from a re-building effort carried out by successive kings over a long period between 1245-1517. A major upheavel occurred over all of England in 1534 when King Henry VIII seized all assets of the Roman Catholic church as a result of his disputes with the Pope over the King's maritial issues. However, because of the involvement of royalty in the earlier history of the Abbey, the structure was spared the destruction wrought by Henry VIII on many of the seized assets. This church is now a major British institution because, since the Norman conquest of Britain in 1066, all but three of the British monarchs have had their coronations in Westminster Abbey. The abbey is also the burial site for many of the monarchs and other famous Britons down through the centuries.
The second photo was an attempt to record some gold weather vanes at the top of the Abbey's columns, but the bright sky was not cooperating. We were getting chilly from the cold street winds and we were hungry too, so we opted not to explore further but instead headed into the Whitehall district in search of a warm pub! Leave a Comment
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This is an architectural masterpiece of the thirteenth to sixteenth centuries. It has an unique place in British history. It has been the setting for every coronation since 1066 and for numerous other royal occasions. Today it is still a church and it still looks beautiful :-) Leave a Comment
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Westminster Abbey was built from the 1200's to the 1500's. Their is plenty of British history here. Tombs of many Kings and Queens, and many other memorials. Many royal ceremonies occur here. Most notably are coronations. Incredibly every single one since William the Conqueror took over in 1066 has been held here! For a walk through the centuries of English History, this is the best place to start! Leave a Comment
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The lower gothic part of the West Front had several niches which were designed for statues. However, the statues have been added just some years ago.
When I was there in 1996, only the 4 lower niches already had their statues.
The following had been taken from Westminster Abbey's website:
## "In 1995 four allegorical figures were placed in the niches on either side of the Great West Door: Mercy, Truth, Righteousness and Peace. These traditional virtues (from Psalm 85 verse 10) represent the values for which countless innocent men and women have been prepared to give their lives." ##
The remaining 10 statues above (in my picture only the empty niches are seen) have been added in 1998. They show individual martyrs. Westminster Abbey's website gives you the details about these martyrs, if you are interested in further reading (please see "Abbey Tour" and then "West Front"). Leave a Comment
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