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Westminster Abbey Review

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Westminster Abbey

Address: Broad Sanctuary, Westminster, London, SW1 P3PA | Map It
Phone: 020/7222-5152
www.westminster-abbey.org

Category: Religious Sites
Location: Westminster and Royal London

Write a review | Avg. member rating: 5.0/5

Fodor's Review:

A monument to the nation's rich—and often bloody and scandalous—history, the abbey rises on the Thames skyline as one of London's most iconic sites. The mysterious gloom of the lofty medieval interior is home to more than 600 statues, tombs, and commemorative tablets. About 3,300 people, from kings to composers to wordsmiths, are buried in the abbey. It has been the scene of 14 royal weddings and no fewer than 38 coronations—the first in 1066, when William the Conqueror was made king here.

There's only one way around the abbey, and as there will almost certainly be a long stream of shuffling tourists at your heels, you'll need to be alert to catch the highlights. Enter by the north door then, turn around and look up to see the painted-glass rose window,the largest of its kind.

As you walk east towards the apse you'll see the Coronation Chair,at the foot of the Henry VII Chapel, which has been briefly graced by nearly every regal posterior since Edward I ordered it in 1301. Look for the graffiti on the back of the Coronation chair. It's the work of 18th- and 19th-century visitors and Westminster schoolboys who carved their names there. Further along, the Chapel of Henry VII contains the tombs of Henry VII and his queen, Elizabeth of York. Close by are monuments to the young daughters of James I, and an urn purported to hold the remains of the so-called Princes in the Tower—Edward V and Richard. Interestingly, arch enemies Elizabeth I and her half-sister Mary Tudor share a tomb here. An inscription reads: "Partners both in throne and grave, here rest two sisters, Elizabeth and Mary, in the hope of the Resurrection." In front of the High Altar,which was used for the funerals of Princess Diana and the Queen Mother, is a black-and-white marble pavement laid in 1268. The intricate Italian Cosmati work contains three Latin inscriptions, one of which states that the world will last for 19,683 years.

Continue through the South Ambulatory to the Chapel of St. Edward the Confessor,which contains the shrine to the pre-Norman king. Because of its great age, you must join a tour with the verger to be admitted to the chapel. (Details are available at the admission desk; there is a small extra charge.)

To the left, you'll find Poets' Corner. Geoffrey Chaucer was the first poet to be buried here in 1400. Other memorials include: William Shakespeare, William Blake, John Milton, Jane Austen, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, William Wordsworth, and Charles Dickens. A door from the south transept and south choir aisle leads to the calm of the Great Cloisters.

The nearby medieval Chapter House is adorned with 14th-century frescoes. The King's Council met here between 1257 and 1547. Be sure to look at the floor, one of the finest surviving tiled floors in the country. Take a left out of the Chapter House to visit the Abbey Museum,which houses a collection of deliciously macabre effigies made from the death masks and actual clothing of Charles II and Admiral Lord Nelson (complete with eye patch). Past the museum, the Little Cloister is a quiet haven, and just beyond, the College Garden is a delightful diversion. Filled with medicinal herbs, it has been tended by monks for more than 900 years. On the west side of the abbey, the Dean's Yard is the best spot for a fine view of the massive flying buttresses above.

Continue back to the nave of the abbey. In the choir screen, north of the entrance to the choir, is a marble monument to Sir Isaac Newton. If you walk towards the West Entrance, you'll see a plaque to Franklin D. Roosevelt —one of the Abbey's very few tributes to a foreigner. The Grave of the Unknown Warrior,in memory of the soldiers who lost their lives in both world wars, is near the exit of the abbey.

Arrive early if possible, but be prepared to wait in line to tour the abbey. Photography is not permitted.

Cost: Abbey and museum £10
Open: Abbey, weekdays 9:30-3:45, Wed. until 6, Saturday 9:30-1:45; closes 1 hr after last admission. Museum, daily 10:30-4. Cloisters daily 8-6. College Garden, Apr.-Sept., Tues.-Thurs., 10-6; Oct.-Mar., Tues.-Thurs. 10-4. Chapter House, daily 10-4. Services may cause changes to hrs, so call ahead
Tube: Westminster

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Member Reviews and Ratings

Reviewed by bachslunch from US on 4/6/08
Beautifully ornate Gothic style church, an absolute must. Loads of people buried here: scientists Isaac Newton and Charles Darwin, composers George F. Handel and Henry Purcell, writers Geoffrey Chaucer and Alfred Lord Tennyson, prime minister William Gladstone, several older era British monarchs such as Elizabeth I. Small museum worth a quick peek. Entrance lines can get long -- probably best to make this your first stop in the Westminster sightseeing area.