 | London Westminster Abbey Reviews | 11 - 20 of 233 |  |
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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Westminster Abbey is known the world over as the resting place of Britain's monarchs as well as the location for coronations and pageants. Inside the Abbey you'll find some of the best examples of medieval architecture in all of London. Leave a Comment
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Saint Margaret's Church is bolted onto the side of Westmister Abbey, and is a very picturesque building in its own right. The present church was completed in 1523, and is the third such church on the site. Since 1614, this church has been used as the official church for the House of Commons (the Members of Parliament or MPs). Sir Walther Raleigh is buried in this church. There is also a window inside that was made for King Henry VIII and his Spanish wife Catherine of Aragon (Henrys first of 6 wives - she was one of the lucky ones and was simply divorced).
This church is right off Parliament Square, and is open to the public. Leave a Comment
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Updated August 2005
I hadn't been inside Westminster Abbey since my 1st visit back in 1988 so I decided to head over one Monday morning (August 2005) and catch the Verger Tour, a 90 minute tour that has an additional charge of L4.
After plunking down my L8 admission fee to the Abbey, I headed over to the information desk and had no trouble getting on the next tour (got there around 9:30, the next tour was 10:00). This was a great tour, the guide was informative, entertaining and the tour allows you access into places that the ordinary tourists can't go. I'd highly recommend this if you are planning on going to the Abbey.
After the tour you can visit the museum or go back around the Abbey at your leisure. I believe they said the Abbey ticket was good for the entire day but ask when you get there. Leave a Comment
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Stop #1:
Take the Underground Jubilee line (gray) to the Westminster stop and get onto either the Circle or District lines (yellow or green) and take that to the very next stop, St. James Park. Follow the signs directing you to the Abbey when you get off of the train. You will see the Abbey in front of you at the stop lights.
When we arrived they were in the process of a ceremony commemorating the Battle of Britain. There were no "famous" people attending, as the Queen only attends on major anniversaries. We could not go into the church, but viewed the amazing architecture of the entrance. We had meant to go to Buckingham Palace first, but turned the wrong way and only accidentally ended up at the Abbey. We did get around to seeing the back side of it later in the day, but did not go inside. This is something we will have to save for another trip, but it should not be missed if you have the time. Leave a Comment
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Due to the fact that it was a beautiful sunny day and there were a lot of people going in, I did not actually see inside Westminster (also known as the 'House of Kings') but just walked around the outside admiring the architecture. It is a beautiful gothic building.
It was founded over a thousand years ago as a Benedictine monastery. Since then it has been rebuilt twice, once by Edward the Confessor and later by Henry III (in the 13th Century where it gets it's Gothic style from).
Since 1066, when William the Conqueror ruled, coronations for royalty have been held here. It has also been used for many royal weddings and funerals.
UPDATE: Unfortunately when I visited here again in August 2007, there was some kind of service on at the time and so my friends and I could not go in. Maybe next time I'm in London I will get to go inside :). Leave a Comment
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Westminster Abbey should definitely be high on every visitor's must see list. I think is one of the two places in London where you get the greatest sense of the country's history (the Tower of London is the other). Here all British monarchs from 1066 onwards, with the exceptions only of Edward V and Edward VIII, have been crowned, many of them married and, until George II, buried. Its wealth of historic sights include the Coronation Chair, the Shrine of Edward the Confessor, the tomb of the Unknown Soldier, various Royal Tombs and the Royal Chapels.
So many of Britain's great men and women are buried here: Chaucer, Spenser, Kipling, Dickens & Tennyson with other writers in Poets' Corner; Handel, Vaughan Williams & Purcell; Charles Darwin, Isaac Newton & Robert Stephenson; Dame Peggy Ashcroft & Sir Henry Irving ...
Others are buried elsewhere but commemorated here: the Bronte sisters, Jane Austen, Shakespeare, Winston Churchill ...
The abbey is mainly Gothic in style, and its proper name is actually the Collegiate Church of St Peter, Westminster - but no one ever calls it that, and very few Londoners would even recognise the name! There has been a church on this site since 616AD but the present building was started in 1045 and much added too over the following centuries, being more or less finished in the 15th.
The Abbey is open to visitors on weekdays and Saturdays, but on Sunday only for those atending a service. Times vary a lot, so check the website below before you go - also if you'd like to attend a service. There is an entry charge of £10 (adults) and £7.00 (children & seniors). Phone: 020 7654 4900Directions: St James's Park or Westminster tube (both on the Circle and District lines). Westminster is nearer but I prefer the approach from St James's Park. Follow signs to the right exit, and walk ahead down Tothill Street - you can't miss it!Website: http://www.westminster-abbey.org
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Westminister Abbey was the first major London site the morning after we arrived in the city, and it was a great way to start becoming oriented to the history of England.
My head was reeling with the names of all the kings and queens buried in the abbey, and I purchased a small book outlining the family tree of British royalty to help me keep track in the gift shop.
Our tour guide was the Canon's Verger, Maureen Gupp, who was excellent. Though we weren't allowed to take photos inside, I did get one of her afterwards getting something to eat in the area outside the main part of the abbey. The tour is highly recommended. Admission was 7.50 pounds and the tour I think 5 pounds. Leave a Comment
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We took a guided tour through Westminster Abbey and it was really wonderful. We learned so much about England and the people that are buried there. Most are people of great reknown. Over 3300 people are buried here, including 152 year old Thomas Parr. Poet Geoffry Chaucer, Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, Lawrence Olivier, Dr. Samuel Johnson, Charles Dickens are buried here.
The formal name for Westminster Abbey is The Collegiate Church of St. Peter, Westminster. Westminster Abbey is right next to Parliament. 1045 to 1065 was the date that Edward the Confessor built a church for the Benedectine Monks in the Norman form of Romanesque. 1245 to 1272 Henry III began tearing down the Roman style to replace it with the new Gothic style. In 1745 the top parts of the western towers were completed, to designs of Christopher Wren.
Here you can see the tomb of Mary Queen of Scots. Even though she was a fervent Roman Catholic this is not a Catholic Church. Westminster Cathedral is the Roman Catholic cathedral for the archdiocese of Westminster. Henry VIII transferred jurisdiction from the Pope to the crown. In 1540 he dissolved the Benedictine Abbey and designated Westminster as a cathedral. This is a "Royal Peculiar" .You can check all this out on the web site listed below. Leave a Comment
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Westminster Abbey, that is the Collegiate Church of St. Peter, was begun by Edward the Confessor in the 11th century and rebuilt in the 13th century.
William the Conqueror was crowned here on Christmas Day in 1066, and since then all English sovereigns, with the exception of Edward V and Edward VIII, have been crowned here, and most were buried here until the early 19th century.
Here you can find the Coronation Chair as well. The chair has been used for all the coronations in the Abbey since 1308.
Entry to the Abbey is through the North Door, which leads into the North Transept, known as Statemen’s Aisle, because of its many monuments to 18th and 19th century politicians.
There’s also Poets’ Corner with many tombs and memorials to great writers, musicians, actors and scientists, including Chaucer, Shakespeare, Dickens Newton and Darwin.
Leaving the church by the west door, you can find 10 statues of 20th century Christian martyrs in niches above the entrance. One of them is Martin Luther King.
Opening times:
Mon-Fri: 09.00-16.45
Sat: 09.00-14.45
Museum Daily: 10.30-16.00
Admission: £6.00 (discount) Leave a Comment
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