Stop #1:
Take the Underground Jubilee line (gray) to the Westminster stop and get onto either the Circle or District lines (yellow or green) and take that to the very next stop, St. James Park. Follow the signs directing you to the Abbey when you get off of the train. You will see the Abbey in front of you at the stop lights.

When we arrived they were in the process of a ceremony commemorating the Battle of Britain. There were no "famous" people attending, as the Queen only attends on major anniversaries. We could not go into the church, but viewed the amazing architecture of the entrance. We had meant to go to Buckingham Palace first, but turned the wrong way and only accidentally ended up at the Abbey. We did get around to seeing the back side of it later in the day, but did not go inside. This is something we will have to save for another trip, but it should not be missed if you have the time.

Originally a Benedictine abbey, Westminster Abbey’s the church where all the monarchs of England- since William the Conqueror (in 1066)- have been crowned. It’s nearly a thousand years old, and heavily decorated with carved stone, marble, wood, stained glass, and paintings. It’s really huge- so much so that we got pretty nearly lost in it.

Besides being the place where coronations have been held for the past millennium, Westminster’s also the place where most of England’s kings and queens of England are buried- in heavy, ornate tombs with carved stone statues (usually likenesses of the monarch) lying supine on top. Our tour through the church took us past the tombs of a number of monarchs and their consorts- Anne of Cleves, Elizabeth I, Richard II and Mary Queen of Scots among them. There are lots of other well known personalities, if not monarchs, here too: Lord Milton, David Livingstone, Margaret Beaufort (grandmother of Henry VIII and founder of two Cambridge colleges), Lord Canning, Darwin, James Watt and Robert Browning included. And there are memorials to countless others: Captain Cook, Sir Lawrence Olivier, Clement Attlee and Benjamin Disraeli. Interestingly enough, Oliver Cromwell is also buried in Westminster Abbey, although his head is buried in Sydney Sussex College, Cambridge- a rather gruesome burial!

Westminster Abbey also has a memorial to Walter Raleigh (buried beneath the altar of St Margaret’s, next door), who, among his other achievements, introduced tobacco and potatoes to England. Within the Abbey too is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier , a memorial to the hundreds who died during World War I.

If you’re visiting Westminster, do walk on next door to the church of St Margaret’s , the church attended by the Members of Parliament. It’s a fairly small church, but pretty (it’s undergone massive renovation, having suffered severe damage during World War II). Lord Mountbatten and Sir Winston Churchill had both been married in this church, and their wedding photographs and marriage certificates are on display.

What's it like - awesome!! I hadn't really given much thought to Westminster Abbey other than I'd heard about it and seen it on TV many times and it was just one of the many historic sights that must be seen on a trip to London. If you want British history, Westminster Abbey holds centuries of stories, tales, and lives that all make up what the British Isles are today. If you stopped and read every word of every passage on every grave and every description, it would take a very long time to see all of it. We arrived at the Abbey shortly before noon and the line was quite long and we were informed that it was about a 1 1/2 hour wait from that point. The line moved quickly and we were inside out of the heat in a little over an hour. You can just walk through with a condensed pamphlet guiding your route or you can rent an audio cassette program to verbally walk you through. I recommend the audio tour or if time and budget permits, pay for a guided tour.

It's mind blowing to see articles that are hundreds of years old and realize the signficance that article or tomb had on our lives today. You wind your way through various periods of English history and end up in the large central cathedral hall where parisheners still worship daily. If you watch British world events this room will be familiar as the site for many a royal affair, such as the crowning of the Queen and Princess Diana's funeral. You walk where monarches, nobles, lords,and ladies for centuries before you walked. Off to the side of the main abbey is a large connecting portico where a museum slowing the ascencion and progression of the throne to modern day and also an area where you can do brass rubbings. Of course there is also the obligatory gift shop to purchase souvenirs.

If you only see one thing of historic value in London, Westminster Abbey should be that place. Children may find this adventure boring, especially since they need to maintain a quiet voice level since it is still a functioning church. If you plan to digest it in depth, it's best to go on a day when only adults are in attendance. With children along, I recommend a faster paced tour, but don't hesitate to take the kids along if that's the only way you can see it. Little ones will need to be held by the hand or kept in strollers at all times however. It's so British, yet so international.

Admission is included in the London Pass. Here you can see some very interesting and very old sculptures and stonework. There is also a museum that includes figures of various royalty. If you have some extra time when visiting Westminster Abbey, then go here and spend 30-45 minutes.

A gorgeous and very old cathedral that is still actively used as a church and burial site. Here you get to see burial places of many of Britain's royalty. A large number of famous people are also buried here, or at the very least have a plaque here. This is also the sight of coronation ceremonies, and several coronation thrones are on display here. A visit is highly recommended, but check ahead. Since it is still used as a church, it is not open to the public every day.