Westminster Abbey

As we were London bound this weekend, we visited one of the most famous landmarks of the city with James and Emma. 

Westminster Abbey was thought to have been built in 1080, by King Edward the Confessor as part of his palace. It started being used as a coronation site for the Norman Kings but none were buried there until Henry the 3rd who worshipped Edward the Confessor and wanted to be buried there, and he started up a bit of a following. 

The Abbey played a central part in the Royal and the religious communities right throughout the ages and it was also here that the first third of the King James Bible Old Testament and the last half of the New Testament were translated. The New English Bible was also put together here in the 20th century. 

We picked up our trusty audio guides and set off, the Abbey looks deceptively small on the outside but inside we saw that it truly is massive. First off we saw the main alter with the Italian mosaic floor from the 12th century. The ceilings are of course huge, and had a lot more decoration to them than other cathedrals we had seen, in Bath for example.

There were also little alcoves behind the main alter with really elaborate shrine and monuments to dead people. Behind the main alter bit was Henry VII’s Lady Chapel, this is where Henry VII was buried and also where there is a shrine to the Royal Armed Forces from the Battle of Britain. The Abbey was damaged by air raids during the war and the bit that was rebuilt became a memorial to them.

 

We got to walk outside in the courtyard where the monks would have done their exercise (mainly walking around and chanting). Pretty much on every bit of floor and wall space was a memorial to someone, it was quite eerie. We also saw the Chapter room which is built in a Geometrical Gothic style with an octagonal crypt below and has an original mid-13th century tiled pavement. A door within the vestibule dates from around 1050 is believed to be the oldest in England. The Chapter house was originally used in the 13th century by Benedictine monks for daily meetings. It later became a meeting place of the King's Great Council and the Commons, predecessors of Parliament.

Next to the Chapter House was the Pyx room where the gold and silver were kept. The term 'pyx' refers to the boxwood chest in which coins were held and presented to a jury during the Trial of the Pyx, in which newly minted coins were presented to ensure they conformed to the required standards.

 

Then we came across Poet’s corner, which is where there are memorials to the great literary figures throughout history. This wasn’t planned but started off with Geoffrey Chaucer having a shrine and then others popped up. Some of the more famous people included William Shakespeare, Charles Dickens, D.H Lawrence, Jane Austen and the Bronte sisters. The practice spread from aristocrats and poets to generals, admirals, politicians, doctors and scientists such as Isaac Newton and Charles Darwin which is quite strange when you think about it.

As is our tradition we lit a candle and we were off.

Highlight: The Poets corner, very cool seeing all the famous names in different memorials Lowlight: Quite expensive admission (£15ea) for a Church 

Interesting fact #1: Oliver Cromwell who caused the Civil War has a memorial plaque at the Abbey, but 2 years after the Royals were reinstated, his body was dug up, hung and decapitated and then burnt. Tough break. 

 

Interesting fact #2: On the left side of the Abbey in one of the smaller chapels is the tomb of Queen Elizabeth I, and on the right side is an equally imposing tomb of Mary Queen of Scots. Mary’s tomb was installed 2 years after her death by her son James as he wanted her to be recognised on the same level as her arch rival and ultimate death sentence writer, Elizabeth.