Westminster Abbey is not a place you can visit on a whim. Rather, it requires some planning, including getting your ticket beforehand. Although all of this might be different at another time of day or year. Who knows? What I do know is that you do not want to miss a tour of Westminster Abbey when you are in the city. The abbey has been at this location since at least the 1040s and has witnessed everything there is to see of English history. From the crowning of kings and queens to weddings and funerals, all of that and more happened in this historic building. More than 3,300 people are also buried in the abbey, so of course you do not want to skip this almost 1,000 year old church.
Westminster Abbey @London
I got my ticket directly at the Westminster Abbey website, paid the exorbitant fee which included also an audio guide, and arrived at the church at 1pm. The entry window is only 30 minutes, so if you are late, your guess is as good as mine. My hope that everyone else would be at lunch at this hour was in vain, as the abbey was packed. Westminster Abbey opens its doors from 9:30 to 3:30 and closes an hour later. So while there might be fewer people in the afternoon, an hour doesn not feel like enough. At least to me, the late time slot was never an option, as an hour would not do this historic building justice.
people waiting to get their bags checked @Westminster Abbey
As amazing as Westminster Abbey looks against a blue sky and framed by green trees, I am sure touring it in January might be more pleasant. I really wish I had known beforehand about the many visitors. While I know it is popular, there could be fewer tourists in the colder season. I hated being swept up in this wave of people and following in their wake through the abbey. Also, there was no escaping them in any of the pictures.
I am definitely not alone in here @Westminster Abbey
With that in mind, please enjoy my pictures from Westminster Abbey. The church is totally impressive and so beautiful to look at. The audio guide, on the other hand, does not do the abbey and its history any justice and keeps the information on the surface. Maybe that is just me. As a history buff, I love to go into detail. But I felt there was so much more to learn about the church. I need to check if one can get guided tours through the church after hours. That is something that would definitely interest me, but I have no idea if that is even possible. The audio guide is set up in such a way as to herd the maximum number of people through in the least amount of time and capitalize on the earnings. Not with me though, I spent hours in the abbey. Yours, Pollybert
The grave of the unknown warrior has a prominent place at the entrance.
Grave of the unknown Warrior @Westminster Abbey
The altar piece before passing into the choir.
altar before the choir @Westminster Abbey
On the left side is the burial place of Isaac Newton, here in a close up.
Isaac Newton burial place @Westminster Abbey
A look back into the nave with all the other tourists.
the nave @Westminster Abbey
Look at this beautiful ceiling in the little passage to the choir.
ceiling in the passage to the choir @Westminster Abbey
The choir in all its glory with the high altar ip front.
choir @Westminster Abbey
According to the labels, on one side sit the clerics and on the other representatives of the Commonwealth.
the seats for the clerics @Westminster Abbey
The choir really is the most amazing place, unfortunately so thought everyone else.
the choir @Westminster Abbey
The high altar looks just amazing with this screen. There is also no cross hanging, but rather standing in front.
high altar@Westminster Abbey
Some of the burial sites were just amazing. Just look at all the details. It does not matter if we today have no clue who these people were. At the time of their death, they were important enough to warrant such a work of art.
grave of Sir Francis Vere @Westminster Abbey
Catherine, Lady St. John of Bletso @Westminster Abbey
burial site of Lady Elizabeth Nightingale @Westminster Abbey
A closed off door within the church. I wonder what is behind it.
locked door @Westminster Abbey
Elizabeth I also lies in Westminster Abbey, one of the greatest queens England ever had.
the tomb of Queen Elizabeth I @Westminster Abbey
The Lady Chapel, or Chapel of Henry VII, father of Henry VIII the king with the six wives and slayer of Richard III, lies behind the altar in the apse. It was definitely the most magnificent part of the church and the ceiling alone was absolutely stunning.
chapel of Henry VII @Westminster Abbey
tomb of Henry VII (in front) and his wife Elizabeth @Westminster Abbey
the most amazing ceiling @Lady Chapel
In the same chapel is also the grave of Mary Stuart, Queen of the Scots. Just look at the details of her dress. The red lion at her feet wears a crown and holds a golden scepter. I really like that in death Queen Elizabeth I and Mary Stuart share the same church.
grave of Mary Stuart @Westminster Abbey
Mary Stuart, Queen of the Scots @Westminster Abbey
Walking around the church and taking in all the burial sites, it was the small details which fascinated me. A lot of work and attention was put into these figures which watch over the deceased in the afterlife.
the attention to detail is grand @Westminster Abbey
detail from the tomb of Edward III (d 1377) @Wesrminster Abbey
for fans of Wuthering Heights @London
Compared to the church, the cloister was quiet and almost devoid of tourists.
sunny cloister, fewer tourists @Westminster Abbey
Britain’s oldest door @Westminster Abbey
A glance into the Chapter House, which was built in the 1340s during Edward III’s reign. It does look momentous, befitting Westminster Abbey.
Chapter House @Westminster Abbey
On the way out, I passed the English coronation chair, which has been used at every coronation since 1308. Edward I stole the Stone of Scone from Scotland in 1296. It is the Scottish equivalent of this chair just way older as it is from about the 9th century. He got this coronation chair built to house the Stone of Scone inside, so that the crowning would take place seated on Scotland. The stone has been returned to Scotland in 1996, only 700 years later, and comes now to England solely for coronations. The last time was in April 2023 for the coronation of Charles III and it rwas brought back, after a short display in Westminster Abbey following the coronation on May 6, to Edinburgh Castle in May 2023.
coronation chair @Westminster Abbey
