Westminster Abbey

History

Westminster AbbeyAn architectural masterpiece of the thirteenth to sixteenth centuries, Westminster Abbey also presents a unique pageant of British history - the Confessor’s Shrine, the tombs of Kings and Queens, and countless memorials to the famous and the great. It has been the setting for every Coronation since 1066 and for numerous other Royal occasions. Today it is still a church
dedicated to regular worship and to the celebration of great events in the life of the nation.

Neither a cathedral nor a parish church, Westminster Abbey is a “royal peculiar” under the jurisdiction of a Dean and Chapter, subject only to the Sovereign. Nine hundred years ago, Westminster Abbey was a Benedictine Monastery, offering the traditional Benedictine hospitality to its visitors. Today, it has to seek new ways of offering a hospitable welcome to the 3 1/2
million visitors who come to it every year from all parts of the world. An extensive ministry of preaching and teaching, within the Abbey itself and in the wider world, is centred here. Concern for society and for individuals has taken on a new importance in the complex world of the 20th century. At Westminster Abbey we put prayer at the centre of everything we do. It is just one reason why tourists are so welcome here and why they value the calm and space the Abbey now provides for reflection and prayer. For the greater part of every day, a priest
or religious sister is available to any of our visitors for consultation or counsel, or a priest for confession. Every hour we ask all our visitors to keep silence for a brief act of prayer for the world and its needs and we invite you to share in this.

Most of our visitors can spend only a short time in the Abbey, but those who are able to share in our worship and prayer make a most valuable contribution to the historic witness of this great church. Two side chapels are always available for private prayer. These are St George’s Chapel, just inside the Great West Door and St. Faith’s Chapel, with access from the East Cloister.

 

Local Interest

Houses of Parliament
Buckingham Palace
Trafalgar Square
London Acquarium
London Eye
National Gallery