Westminster Abbey

Westminster Abbey, at 20 Deans Yard beside the Houses of Parliament in London, is a Gothic church that has been the coronation site of English and British monarchs since 1066 and the burial place of 17 of them. Much of the present building dates from the rebuilding begun by Henry III in 1245, with the soaring nave, flying buttresses and the Henry VII Lady Chapel added later. Together with the Palace of Westminster and St Margaret's Church it forms a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Visitors follow a route through the nave, past the tomb of the Unknown Warrior, to the Quire, the Coronation Chair, and the shrine of Edward the Confessor. The Lady Chapel, with its fan-vaulted ceiling and banners of the Order of the Bath, is considered one of the finest interiors in England. Poets' Corner in the south transept commemorates Chaucer, Dickens, Shakespeare and many others. The Cloisters and Chapter House lead to the Pyx Chamber and the Abbey Museum, and the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Galleries, high in the triforium, offer rare views down into the nave. A free multimedia guide is included with admission and a visit usually lasts 1.5 to 2 hours. Photography is not permitted inside the abbey, though the exterior is best photographed from Parliament Square or from across the road beside Westminster Hall. The abbey is a working church, so services can close sections to sightseers. Crowds are heaviest on weekday late mornings and at weekends in summer, while the first slot after opening and the late afternoon on weekdays are usually calmer. Sunday is reserved for worship and the abbey is closed to sightseers.