I returned to London last weekend to visit my son and take a private tour of Westminster Abbey.
Disclosure
I am an affiliate for GetyourGuide. If anyone books a tour through my link, I get a small commission. Recently, they offered me the chance to preview an activity in London in exchange for an honest review. I opted for a two and a half hour private tour of Westminster Abbey and my son Richard who lives in London agreed to join me and act as my photographer.
We met our guide, Fabrizio, by the statue of Oliver Cromwell, close to Westminster Hall which was used for the Queen’s lying-in state earlier this month. The abbey which was used for the Queen’s funeral has reopened there was a long queue of visitors eager to see inside. Luckily our tour included skip the line tickets so after a quick bag check we were inside.
Westminster Abbey is still a working church and worshipers are able to attend Church services without paying an entrance fee. It is also closed for special occasions. See the Westminster Abbey website for details. The abbey is free to enter for emergency service workers and disabled visitors. There is a 2 for 1 offer with a valid rail ticket.
Photography is allowed but not the use of flash or selfie sticks.
The next big event will be the coronation of King Charles. We were able to see the Coronation Chair which will be in use again on May 6th 2023.
A brief history of Westminster Abbey
Our very knowledgeable guide explained that the Abbey is a royal peculiar not a diocesan church. The Dean reports directly to the King as head of the church of England not the archbishop of Canterbury. Every monarch since William the Conqueror has been crowned in the Abbey using the same rites. Many kings and Queens are also buried there.
In spite of its name, it is no longer an abbey. It has been a house of worship since the 10th century. Benedictine monks first built a chapel on the banks of the river Thames around 960 A.D. Edward the Confessor who was known for his piety offered to endow the monastery and a new church of St. Peter was built. It became known as the Westminster to distinguish it from St. Paul’s cathedral the East Minster. Visitors can still see bits of the old church particularly the monks quarters in the undercroft.
The building we see today was begun by Henry III in 1245 and is considered to be one of the most important gothic buildings. It was built to rival cathedrals in France and be a fit place for the coronation and burial of kings and queens. Edward the confessors remains were moved to a tomb behind the high altar.
The new cathedral was dedicated in 1269.
Burials
More than 3,000 people are buried in the crypt.
The tomb of the unknown soldier is the only grave that visitors are not allowed to walk over.
As well as kings and queens the crypt also contains the remains of many writers, musicians and scientists including Chaucer, Shakespeare, Dickens, Herschel, Newton and Darwin. Nowadays burials are not allowed but cremation ashes are accepted.
The abbey itself has a very high ceiling and is light inside.
Art in Westminster Abbey
It also has some very beautiful paintings and mosaics.
The Cosmati pavement in front of the high altar.
Coffee break
After our private tour of Westminster Abbey, we enjoyed an excellent lunch of quiche and salad in the abbey cafe. The cafe also offers cooked breakfast and afternoon tea as well as a good range of light lunches at competitive prices. There is a drinks kiosk and abbey shop outside.
An old door
This rather plain door has been dated by dendrochronology to the founding of Westminster Abbey by Edward the Confessor in 1065 A.D. Scientists found that all the planks were cut from a single tree which probably grew in Essex between 924 and 1030. It would originally have been covered in cowhide. It is possible that William the Conqueror walked through it before his coronation.
I would like to thank GetyourGuide for providing us with this opportunity and recommend them as an affiliate partner to other bloggers.
