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Westminster Abbey, London

Westminster Abbey has been the setting for every coronation since 1066. The abbey was originally built by Edward the Confessor and was consecrated just before his death in 1065. Small parts of the Abbey survive from the time of Edward the Confessor, including a door in the Chapter House Vestibule. This is claimed as the oldest door in Britain, dating techniques revealing that the timber in the door was felled sometime between 1032 and 1064.

Henry the Third rebuilt the abbey in Gothic style in the middle years of the thirteenth century, as a symbolic centre of the kingdom. It was a symbol of spiritual security, and was built like all cathedrals with elements of military architecture. Battlements are clearly visible in this picture. The castle parallels would once have been clearer, since the abbey was built on what was originally a small island. Rivers would have roughly followed the line of the roads around Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament today, forming a "moat." The area on the island was an area of sanctuary, where not even the king's authority was recognised. Terry Jones suggests that Geoffrey Chaucer may have tried to find sanctuary here when Henry the Fourth deposed Richard the Second in 1399. Chaucer was a critic of Church corruption. Since Henry the Fourth's chief sponsor was Archbishop Thomas Arundell, a man who exemplified ruthless Church corruption, Chaucer found himself in danger. Sadly Chaucer's death around this time, and his burial in the abbey, suggests that the status of sanctuary may not have saved him.

Additions were made to the building over the centuries, notably by Henry the Seventh who added the chapel named after him.

 

The abbey contains the shrine to Edward the Confessor, the tombs of many kings and queens, including , Edward the First, Henry the Fifth, Elizabeth the First, and that of the Unknown Warrior close to the West Door. There are also tombs and memorials of many famous authors in an area now known as Poet's Corner. Geoffrey Chaucer was the first author buried here, following his possible attempt to find sanctuary. As Chaucer's work became more respected his tomb became something of a secular shrine. In 1599 the poet Edmund Spenser was buried within feet of his beloved Chaucer, followed in the sixteenth century by Michael Drayton, Ben Jonson and Abraham Cowley. By 1700 John Dryden's burial confirmed Westminster Abbey as a secular literary shrine. Joseph Addison writing in The Spectator in 1711 now referred to the north transept as "the poetical quarter", the area now known as Poet's Corner. Poet's Corner is a striking confirmation of Matthew Arnold's nineteenth century vision that English literature should work with religion as a "social cement", supposedly holding society together and providing moral fibre. For more on the implications of Matthew Arnold's idea see out History of English literature...

Opening Times: Generally speaking the abbey is open to visitors Monday to Saturday 9.30am - 3.45pm, except Wednesday when the closing time is 6pm and on Saturdays the abbey closes at 1.45pm. There is no tourist visiting on Sundays. Always check opening times before you visit as times may change due to services or special events taking place. There is a museum in the undercroft below the former monks' dormitory. This is one of the oldest parts of the abbey, dating back almost to the foundation of the church by Edward the Confessor in 1065. The exhibition in the museum is based around royal effigies. The museum is open daily from 10.30am - 4pm, and it is possible to enter the museum without entering the abbey church.

Directions: Westminster Abbey is in central London next to Parliament Square opposite the Houses of Parliament.

Access: some areas are inaccessible to wheelchairs, so admission is free to wheelchair users and their carers. Disabled visitors should use the North Door where a ramp is available. For those with vision problems many parts of the abbey can be explored through touch. A marshall or volunteer, identified by green and red gowns will be able to help. Large print and Braille versions of the Welcome Guide are available, and there is a Braille diagram of the abbey. A hearing loop system is installed. Documents from the library, reached by a spiral staircase, can be made available to disabled visitors by prior appointment. There are no toilets in the abbey itself. The nearest toilets are in Broad Sanctuary opposite the West Towers of the Abbey.

Tours are available for individuals, families, groups and schools. Contact tours@westminster-abbey.org

 

Contact:

www.westminster-abbey.org

telephone: +44 (0) 20 7654 4900

e-mail: info@westminster-abbey.org