Westminster Abbey Reviews (London, England)

Evensong at Westminster Abbey

Manchester, England, United Kingdom

April 17, 2013

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We spent the afternoon exploring Westminster Abbey and decided to go to the Evensong service there. Evensong is the most beautiful of services, with wonderful music and singing. It is at 5pm every day - Monday to Friday. I am not sure about the ...Read more We spent the afternoon exploring Westminster Abbey and decided to go to the Evensong service there. Evensong is the most beautiful of services, with wonderful music and singing. It is at 5pm every day - Monday to Friday. I am not sure about the timings at the weekend.

If you want to explore the Abbey, you have to pay the entrance charge. There is, of course, no charge for people coming here to worship and take part in the service.

We came out of the Abbey at 4.30 (I think we could have stayed inside, had we told them we were planning to attend the service), and saw there was a large queue formed by the gates at the entrance. We joined this queue, mainly made up of foreign tourists. At 4.45 a bell rang, a verger opened the gate and we were allowed to go inside the Abbey. We had to stand at the side though and were not taken through to our seats until about 10 minutes before the service started.

I would definitely advise getting there early - no later than 4.30 if you want to attend this service. People who come later do get in, but they are seated a lot further away and have limited views.

Westminster Abbey is not a cathedral - it has never been the seat of a bishop. It is administered directly by the crown and is known as a "royal peculiar." While we were standing waiting to take our seats at Evensong, I thought about the last big event I watched here at the Abbey - the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton on 29 April 2011.

Eventually we were taken to our seats. This happened in a brisk, efficient way - some of the vergers were a bit snappy and impatient, certainly not friendly and calm, in how they addressed people and got them to move along.

Initially I was a bit disappointed, the choir stall seats had filled up by the time we got to the front, but we did get very good seats - the row behind where the Queen sat at the Royal Wedding. There are large screens dotted around the ends of the rows, so even if you are further back, they connect you with what is happening at the front.

The Abbey choir usually sing at this service, however it was Easter Monday and they had the week off. Portsmouth Cathedral Choir did the honours instead - they were marvellous and sang beautifully.

The service sheets are on the seats, the service is taken from the Book of Common Prayer, the language is old fashioned and poetic and it was all just beautiful. The congregation do not play a large role in the service, but there is one hymn at the end to join in with.

The whole service takes around 40 minutes. I really enjoyed it and would definitely recommend attending. Not sure our 9 year old felt exactly the same, but with no sermon and just 40 minutes of sitting patiently, even he did not complain too much. Close

From journal 5 Days in London

Westminster Abbey - What to See

by Joy S

Manchester, England, United Kingdom

April 15, 2013

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Westminster Abbey is a wonderful church and still is very much used as a place of worship. It is also though, full of history as for centuries, the greatest people of our country have been buried here. There are memorials to statesmen, Prime ...Read more Westminster Abbey is a wonderful church and still is very much used as a place of worship. It is also though, full of history as for centuries, the greatest people of our country have been buried here. There are memorials to statesmen, Prime Minsters, the great and good of the literary world and more. Added to that, every coronation since that of William the Conqueror in 1066 has been conducted here. So, there is definitely a lot to see and pack in during your visit.

The building is magnificent - a mixture of architectural styles with wonderful stained glass windows. The original church was built in the 11th century by Edward the Confessor. He is buried in the little chapel behind the main altar. The building, as it is today, was begun in 1245 and completed in the late 1500's.

As you begin to walk around, there are memorials to Disraeli and Darwin. Very close the the West Door is a memorial to Sir Winston Churchill. Look out in this area too for the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior. This is so impressive and very moving. A group of school children were there during our visit having a tour, they also seemed awed by this grave. It has a really interesting story. A body was brought back from France after World War I - no-one ever identified it. They also brought back 100 barrels of French soil to bury him. The black marble slab is from Belgium and the gold lettering is from shell cases collected on the fields in France. This grave, with the unknown body, is a memorial to all soldiers lost in war.

We next found an interesting memorial to Newton, then in the centre of the church is the shrine of Edward the Confessor. You can't go close to this, it is too fragile to cope with a lot of tourists.

Scattered all around the Abbey are tombs of lots of royals including Henry V and Richard III. The tomb of Henry VII is extremely elaborate and decorative. It is fascinating that Elizabeth I and Mary I are buried together. The tomb of Mary Queen of Scots is also very interesting.

You could spend ages in Poet's Corner. This is an assortment of memorials to the literary greats. Everyone from Chaucer to Dickens, Hardy, Tennyson and Kipling as well as the Brontes, Jane Austen and Dylan Thomas all have memorials here. I found this area so impressive. There is a wonderful statue of Shakespeare with his hand resting on a pile of books and a manuscript in his hand with Prospero's last words from the Tempest inscribed on it. There is also a large statue of Handel.

Just before you leave the Abbey, you can see the Coronation Chair. Unfortunately during our visit it was covered over and was having work done on it. We did catch a glimpse of it though - it is amazingly ordinary looking.

We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to the Abbey - there is so much to see and so much to absorb, you couldn't really take in everything, but a visit here will leave you inspired and your head bursting with new knowledge. Close

From journal 5 Days in London

Westminster Abbey - General Information

by Joy S

Manchester, England, United Kingdom

April 12, 2013

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Best of IgoUgo Westminster Abbey in my opinion is an absolute must-see if you are visiting London. Not only is it a truly beautiful church, it has so much history and there are so many things to see and do, you will come away inspired.It is open every day between ...Read more Westminster Abbey in my opinion is an absolute must-see if you are visiting London. Not only is it a truly beautiful church, it has so much history and there are so many things to see and do, you will come away inspired.

It is open every day between 9.30 and 3.30 - I think Sundays may be slightly different due to church services. Although the opening hours state 3.30 closing time, they do not ask you to leave until closer to 4.30. We arrived around half past two, saw a queue outside the door and were concerned, firstly that we would not get in and secondly that we would not have time to see everything. Fortunately we were proven wrong on both counts - the queue moved fast and took last than 5 minutes, we also had plenty of time to look around before leaving at 4.30.

The best tube stations are either Westminster or St James Park. Admission costs were, I thought, a little pricey. It costs £18.00 for adults and £8.00 for children. The first chargeable child with 2 adults though is free, this was good for us. The entrance fee includes use of an audio-guide. They rely on admission fees from visitors to cover the running costs. Apparently they receive no money from government or any other bodies - it must be hugely expensive to maintain the church so you don't feel so bad about paying £18.00

There are verger tours which are optional. I think there is a slight extra charge for these. We arrived just as one had started, so were not able to join in. We overhead the verger at different times during our visit and his tour sounded really good - informative and lively and also fun. I wish we had been able to do this.

That said though, we did really value the audio guide. It was narrated by the actor Jeremy Irons and was excellent - full of useful facts and invaluable for looking around. They have children's audio guides too, but there were none available when we wanted one. Our son made do with the adult guide and was happy enough with that. They also have children's trail sheets near the entrance - do get one of these if you have children. They are fun but packed with great facts about the history and what to see. If your child completes it and takes it to the gift shop at the end, their reward is a chocolate coin.

You are not allowed to take any photographs or video at any time once inside the Abbey. You can take pictures in the cloisters and outside, so make the most of that opportunity.

The staff are very knowledgeable and most of them are helpful. I found a few were a little abrupt, but they are in the minority. Most were willing to answer any questions.

As well as exploring the Abbey, you can also walk through the cloisters and visit the Abbey Museum. In the museum are some royal relics - they have the effigies of Edward II and Henry VII. These were used instead of the real corpses for lying in state ceremonies - gruesome!! In the museum they have a dressing up section - children can dress up as monks, then you can go into the cloisters and take their photo.

We spent 2 hours in the Abbey - the time flew past, but we saw everything we wanted to. It was extremely busy during our visit - this does seem to be the norm though - but we did not find the crowds unbearable. It is a wonderful place to explore and I definitely recommend it.

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From journal 5 Days in London

Go West my Son

by TianjinPaul

Rotherham, United Kingdom

August 8, 2012

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Best of IgoUgo I have always contented that Westminster Abbey is in second place when it comes to London’s great religious buildings. I have always preferred St Paul’s. Part of this is the rather childish fact that my name is Paul and from that I have somehow ...Read more I have always contented that Westminster Abbey is in second place when it comes to London’s great religious buildings. I have always preferred St Paul’s. Part of this is the rather childish fact that my name is Paul and from that I have somehow gleaned a more personal connection to St Paul’s. The second reason is steeped in a little more historical logic. Two of Britain’s great heroes of the Napoleonic era, Nelson and the Duke of Wellington, are buried at St Paul’s. This seemed like the greatest endorsement possible.

However, my personal foibles notwithstanding, Westminster Abbey remains a magnificent sight. Not that the architecture was the first thing that gripped my girlfriend when we visited. She was more interested in the fact that it was the location for the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton. It was also home to the nuptials of the Duke of York and Sarah Ferguson as well as Mark Phillips and the Princess Royal, but she had far less interest in these (as you might imagine).

I found Westminster Abbey a little unusual as I was not exactly sure where to look. There are two magnificent entrance on the north and west facades. The western entrance is perhaps the more famous and is the more modern addition having been added in the 1700s. It looks classically beautiful and towers over much of the Westminster area. However, I much preferred the northern entrance, which dates back beyond the Elizabethan and is wonderfully gothic.

We arrived at Westminster Abbey quite late on a summer evening. The sun was just beginning to dip, which meant that the long shadows cast by the abbey and the surrounding trees gave it a wonderfully ominous feel. I found myself transfixed by the worn and battered façade and felt the history of the place flowing down from the walls. With the quality of the light and scarcity of people I imagined that was what it might have been like in the Middle Ages.

Sadly, Westminster Abbey is like St Paul’s. It charges the extortionate amount of 16GBP for entrance. Considering it is both a religious venue and a national institution I found this a little disgraceful. To get there, take the underground to Westminster.
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From journal More from London

Steeped in history, a joy to the eye.

by two cruisers

Ames, Iowa

March 10, 2012

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Best of IgoUgo Part of our whole city tour of London was the Westminster Abbey. I would have gladly sped by the tour of Kensington and Chelsea former residences of Liz Taylor and John Wayne and spent more time at the Abbey. We had an excellant quide who walked ...Read more

From journal Three Friends Tour London

Westminster Abbey

by Jctravel1983

Amsterdam, North Holland, Netherlands

November 30, 2010

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Best of IgoUgo GeneralRecently I went to London a few days. During my visit I went to various museums and other cultural sites. One of these places was Westminster Abbey. Westminster Abbey is almost always used when there is something special with the English ...Read more

From journal Going To London

A Walk Through Westminster

by airynfaerie

St. Augustine, Florida

March 22, 2010

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Best of IgoUgo Notably, one of the most famous churches in all of Europe is that of Westminster Abbey. More formally known as The Collegiate Church of St. Peter at Westminster,this striking Gothic church has been the place of hundreds of historic ceremonies over ...Read more Notably, one of the most famous churches in all of Europe is that of Westminster Abbey. More formally known as The Collegiate Church of St. Peter at Westminster,this striking Gothic church has been the place of hundreds of historic ceremonies over the centuries.

When you visit London, this abbey will be one of the more popular sites to see, and luckily it's located quite conveniently near the Parliament building, Downing Street, and Big Ben. Besides the Royal gardens surrounding the area of Buckingham palace, this area of the city was one of my favorites. The open space of intersections and graveled malls for walking, the vast area near Westminster Abbey allows visitors an excellent view of the concentrated area of the city where so many historic and recent activity has happened.

As you walk up towards the abbey from across the street in Parliamentary Square you'll see a large statue of Winston Churchill standing proudly over the lawn. Look at him with the government building behind to get an idea in your mind about the political side of the nation, but then turn to immediately see a large cathedral behind you and grasp how closely intertwined religion was with the politics for so many years.

Founded in the 600s according to tradition, and the original stone abbey built in the 1000s, this abbey went through various changes through the years from the Romanesque / Norman style, to the Gothic, with additions of cloisters and towers, facades, and a narthex added all the way into the 19th century. Many coronation and royal wedding ceremonies took place here and many royals are buried in the abbey's tombs. More recently, this church was where the funeral for Princess Diana took place.

As a visitor to the church, you'll have to pay an admission charge that is one of the highest fees I've paid for a church visit in all of Europe. With this admission ticket, though, you'll have access to most of the grounds including the interior highlights of the decorated transepts, altar, St. Edward's Shrine, Great Cloisters and Chapter House. Henry VIII's Lady Chapel and the Pyx Chamber. Also, several other sites are included, like the College Garden ( a lovely manicured walk-about garden in the back), and the St. Caterine's Chapel Garden. There is also a museum for relics and a closer look at the Abbey's history which admission is included in your ticket price.

Before leaving, check out the gift shop for souvenirs and as you walk back out into the lawn, try to grasp the significant happenings that these walls have witnessed.

• www.westminster-abbey.org
• 20 Dean's Yard, Westminster, London SW1P 3PA
• 020 7222 5152
• Open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 9.30am - 4.30pm, Wednesday
9.30am - 7.00pm, Saturday 9.30am - 2.30pm
• Admission £15.00 (discounts for children, families, groups) Close

From journal A Couple Days in London

A Heady Day Out in the Company of Monarchs

by eilidhcatriona

London, United Kingdom

July 25, 2009

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Best of IgoUgo For many years, ever since I became interested in royal history, and particularly Mary Queens of Scots, I was keen to visit Westminster Abbey, where so many British monarchs are buried. Following my move to London, I finally got my chance and ...Read more For many years, ever since I became interested in royal history, and particularly Mary Queens of Scots, I was keen to visit Westminster Abbey, where so many British monarchs are buried. Following my move to London, I finally got my chance and visited with my mum, who is even more interested in royal history than I am, and is always useful to have around when visiting places like this – she’s a walking encyclopaedia of Scottish and subsequently British monarchs.

Adult entry to the Abbey is currently £15, £12 for over 60s, age 11-18 is £6 and free for under 11. There are also family tickets available. The Abbey is open Monday to Saturday, but Sundays are for worship only and so tourists cannot visit. Travelling to the Abbey is very easy – it is located on Parliament Square and is right beside Westminster Underground Station.

You enter the Abbey through the side door, and not from the front. Even so, the scale of the building and the beauty of the architecture is immediately apparent. It really is quite a breathtaking building. I am not religious, but even so I can appreciate the beauty of religious buildings, and Westminster Abbey really is one of the most stunning. It was begun in the eleventh century by Edward the Confessor. Building continued over the next five centuries, and the most recent addition was in the eighteenth century. As always, the sheer scale of the architecture which was created in a time before heavy machinery is simply astounding.

Similarly, think of the age of this building – back to the eleventh century. And then think about the number of monarchs England and Britain have had since then, the number of coronations and royal weddings which have taken place here. As I walked around the Abbey, I was standing on flagstones which people like Henry VIII, Elizabeth I, James I, and our own Elizabeth II have quite possibly walked on. That’s quite a heady feeling, and it followed me all the way through the Abbey.

Following our guide leaflet, my mum and I saw far more than I can possibly tell you about in a review. We saw numerous royal tombs and memorials, all of which my mum was able to give me some information about. The highlight for us of the royal tombs were those of Elizabeth I and Mary, Queen of Scots. Elizabeth had Mary executed as a threat to the English throne, but was in such anguish over having murdered a fellow queen that she had Mary buried with much ceremony in Peterborough Cathedral. When Mary’s son, James VI of Scotland, became James I of Great Britain, he had his mother’s remains brought to Westminster and had a wonderful tomb erected in her memory. I had been eager to visit Mary’s tomb and pay homage to our most famous monarch, but I didn’t expect to feel as moved by it as I did.

Another section of the Abbey that I found very moving was the Royal Air Force chapel. This is a small chapel created in memory of those who flew with the RAF during the Second World War. It features stained glass with the badges of the fighter squadrons who took part in the Battle of Britain, and has a memorial roll of those who died in it. This does not only include Brits, but those from British colonies and other countries such as the USA who flew with the RAF. The chapel is a beautiful and fitting memorial to those who fought, and it’s worth stopping and reflecting. There is even a preserved area of bomb damage to really bring home what happened.

We saw the Coronation Chair, which was of some interest to us, but having seen the Stone of Scone in Edinburgh Castle a few years before, we weren’t overly interested in the ancient chair of the English monarchs. It is fascinating that it is 700 years old – I wouldn’t expect a wooden chair to last that long, but it is looked after very well and doesn’t exactly get used very often. There is a nice gap underneath the seat where the Stone of Scone used to sit. I must admit though that the chair would probably look more impressive with the Stone in it – as it is, it is just a very old wooden chair.

I was surprised and delighted to learn that the Abbey has a Poets Corner, where a number of literary figures are buried and remembered. I enjoyed seeing the resting places of wonderful writers such as Dickens, Chaucer and Hardy, and there are memorials to many others including Wordsworth, Keats, Austen and the Bronte sisters. I was pleased to see the Scots Robert Burns and Sir Walter Scott also had memorials. I don’t know why, maybe it was the light or the open and slightly higgledy-piggeldy layout of Poets Corner, but I found it quite an uplifting area, and very pleasant to visit. It did not feel sombre, but rather celebratory of these great figures. In addition to writers, the composer Handel is also buried here.

From Poets Corner we headed to the front of the Abbey, and looked up the Nave. From the main door, looking up the nave, the interior of the building is instantly recognisable as it is the section which is seen on television. In this area there is also a memorial to the great Winston Churchill, which rather appropriately is near the grave of the Unknown Soldier.

Throughout the Abbey there are statues and memorials to numerous other figures from history, and more recent years, including Darwin, Brunel, and Martin Luther King. One which was of particular interest to me was a statue of Grand Duchess Elizabeth. I have a great interest in the last Tsars of Russia, and as the wife of the Tsar’s brother, and sister to the Tsarina, Elizabeth or Ella was very much a part of this. Following the death of her husband, she set up a convent and became a nun in her new order of the Sisters of Martha and Mary. She was murdered by the Bolsheviks along with the rest of the royal family, however she was created a saint by the Russian Orthodox Church in the 1980s. Hers is a happy and sad story, and it is nice to see her remembered so far from her home.

I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to the Abbey, and despite the high entrance price I would like to go back – I think the entrance is definitely worth it for all the history that is contained in the Abbey. My mum and I didn’t visit every section and we spent two hours there, and I haven’t even covered everything we did see in this review as there is just too much, so I do intend to go back. I would strongly recommend a visit to locals and visitors alike, as you there is just so much to see and learn.
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From journal My Favourite Area of London

Westminster Abbey

by callen60

Ozarks, Missouri

June 1, 2008

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Best of IgoUgo There are four towers along the Thames that are instantly recognizable as ‘London’. The oldest by far are the twin towers of Westminster Abbey, which have looked out over the river for far longer than the dome of St. Paul’s, the towers of ...Read more

From journal London: All That We Could Afford

Westminster Abbey

by girlytraveler

Boston, Massachusetts

April 1, 2007

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Best of IgoUgo As part of our self-initiated walking tour of London, we stopped by the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey.We queued for tickets, and after receiving them from a friendly ticket agent, entered the famous House of God and House of Kings. We ...Read more

From journal London...several excerpts from my real travel journal

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Westminster Abbey

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Evensong at Westminster Abbey

Westminster Abbey - What to See

Westminster Abbey - General Information

Go West my Son

Steeped in history, a joy to the eye.

Westminster Abbey

A Walk Through Westminster

A Heady Day Out in the Company of Monarchs

Westminster Abbey

Westminster Abbey

Westminster Abbey

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Nearby Things to Do

Popular London Hotels

Popular Things to Do in London

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Evensong at Westminster Abbey

Westminster Abbey - What to See

Westminster Abbey - General Information

Go West my Son

Steeped in history, a joy to the eye.

Westminster Abbey

A Walk Through Westminster

A Heady Day Out in the Company of Monarchs

Westminster Abbey

Westminster Abbey