Major, spectacular and cherished church with a convoluted past, Westminster Abbey was built in the 13th, 16th and 18th centuries, the latter works producing the two iconic west towers (by Hawksmoor) that are the stuff of postcards. Several King Henrys were around for either the construction or the ransacking (the Dissolution) of the abbey, which is high on gothic vaulting, flying buttreses, medieval carving and rose windows and is conveniently located just across the road from its landmark neighbour the Palace of Westminster (Houses of Parliament), and over the bridge from the London Eye. If you've not been invited here for a coronation, royal wedding or a monarch burial, all of which have given the abbey purpose on many an occasion, you might consider a visit for its splendid interior and its impressive collection of buried greats including Geoffrey Chaucer, George Frederick Handel, Charles Dickens and Dame Sybil Thorndike, plus commemorations for Shakespeare, Lord Byron, Jane Austen, the Brontë sisters, Oscar Wilde and Dame Peggy Ashcroft, among many others. £27 as of late 2022 (£21 in 2019), with concessions for students, 6–17 yr-olds and 65+.
Hours
Mon to Sat 9:30am—3:30pm (Sun = open for services)
Hours
Mon to Sat 9:30am—3:30pm (Sun = open for services)
There are lots of tourists, but to see the final resting places of Queen Elizabeth I, Cromwell and Mary, Queen of Scots as well as Poet's Corner and the beautiful tribute to Churchill is a fascinating, especially if you're a cemetery visitor.
magnificnet
we went to the Sunday morning eucharist - what a treat. music of the highest quality and architecture to match. There were people of all nationalities.
over 700 years old
Where kings and queens have been crowned, where royal weddings and funerals have been held, this is the site of many a historical event. A crown jewel for sure in British history.