Westminster Abbey is a living
church as well as an architectural masterpiece of the thirteenth
to sixteenth centuries. Founded as a Benedictine monastery over
a thousand years ago, the Church as rebuilt by Edward the
Confessor in 1065 and again by Henry III in the thirteenth
century in the Gothic style we see today.
Known as the House of Kings,
the Abbey is the final resting place for monarchs including
Edward I (called ‘Longshanks’), Henry III, Henry V and Henry VII
who built a magnificent Lady Chapel here. The shared vault
containing Elizabeth I and her half sister Mary I (‘Bloody
Mary’), and The Tomb of Mary Queen of Scots are echoes of the
blood stained and turbulent Tudors.
Visitors to the Abbey enter
through the North transept, commonly known as Statesman Aisle
(It derives it name from the fact that amongst others former
statesman such as Gladstone and Pitt the Elder are buried
there.)
Poets corner
contains monuments to Shakespeare and Dickens. Musicians
Aisle features memorials to Elgar, Vaughan and Henry Purcell
amongst others. Buried in the nave are Charles Darwin, David
Livingstone and Clement Attlee.
The most poignant memorial has to be the Tomb of
the Unknown Warrior, here is buried an unknown solider from the
First World War, unknown by name and rank who lies next to
England's most famous.
Hotels near Westminster Abbey
Regent
Palace Hotel
Glasshouse Street (off Regent
Street), Piccadilly Circus, Soho, City of Westminster, W1B 5DN.
Rooms from: £39.00
(Distance: .99 km)
Tudor
Inn
78 Warwick Way, Victoria, City of
Westminster, SW1V 1QR
Rooms from: £42.00
(Distance: 1.27 km)
Stanley House Hotel
19-21
Belgrave Rd, Victoria, City of Westminster, SW1V 1RB
Rooms from: £40.00
(Distance: 1.18 km)
Enrico
77-79 Warwick Way, Victoria, City of Westminster, SW1V 1QP
Rooms from: £39.00
(Distance: 1.30 km)
Jubilee Hotel
31
Eccleston Square, Victoria, Victoria, City of Westminster, SW1V
1NZ
Rooms from: £50.00
(Distance: 1.41 km)
Comfort Inn Victoria
18-24 Belgrave Road, Victoria, Victoria, City of Westminster,
SW1V 1QF
Rooms from: £85.00
Distance: 1.20 km
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