United Kingdom
Westminster
The Palace of Westminster and Westminster Abbey including Saint Margaret's Church are representations of English Gothic art, and symbols of parliamentary monarchy.
The neo-Gothic Westminster Palace is the United Kingdom’s Seat of Government and includes the House of Lords, the House of Commons and the famous Clock Tower Big Ben. Westminster Abbey is a medieval Anglican cathedral that holds the royal mausoleum and is used for coronations. St. Margaret's Church is a small medieval church, part of the Westminster Abbey Complex.
Community Perspective: “Westminster is one of those unmissable (and not to be missed) sites that you just stumble across when you come to London.“ Recommended is to visit the interior of the Parliament building via a guided tour. Westminster Abbey is seen less positively as you may find it “absolutely mobbed with people undeterred by the rather hefty admission fee (£22+)”.
Site Info
Official Information
- Full Name
- Palace of Westminster and Westminster Abbey including Saint Margaret's Church (ID: 426)
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Status
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Inscribed 1987
Site history
History of Westminster
- 1987: Deferred
- Originally defined just as Palace of Westminster - needs to include the Abbey
- 1987: Inscribed
- Inscribed
- 2013: Name change
- From "Westminster Palace, Westminster Abbey and Saint Margaret's Church" to "Palace of Westminster and Westminster Abbey including Saint Margaret's Church"
- WHS Type
- Cultural
- Criteria
- i
- ii
- iv
Links
- UNESCO
- whc.unesco.org
All Links
UNESCO.org
- whc.unesco.org — whc.unesco.org/
Related Resources
- parliament.uk — Westminster Palace
- westminster-abbey.org — Westminster Abbey
News Article
- Feb. 14, 2020 edition.cnn.com — The full extent of World War II damage to Big Ben has only just been discovered
- Aug. 19, 2019 christiantoday.com — Archbishop of Canterbury backs building of divisive Holocaust memorial next to Parliament
- March 4, 2015 bbc.com — The Houses of Parliament could have to be "abandoned" within 20 years without extensive repair work
- May 21, 2006 news.bbc.co.uk — The oldest surviving medieval altarpiece in the UK has been returned to its home at Westminster Abbey
Community Information
- Community Category
- Religious structure: Christian
- Secular structure: Civic and Public Works
Travel Information
One million visitors or more
Undergoing Restoration or Repair
See …
London hotspot
Recent Connections
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In Disney and Pixar Animation Classics
Peter Pan -
Florence Nightingale
Burial in Westminster abbey was offered… -
Cosmatesque
the high altar of Westminster Abbey.. i…
Connections of Westminster
- Individual People
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Diana, Princess of Wales
Diana's funeral took place in Westminster Abbey on 6 September 1997 (wiki) -
Geoffrey Chaucer
In 1556 Chaucer was the first poet to be interred in "Poet's Corner" inside the Abbey - He was buried there originally when he died c1400 not because he was a "poet" but because he was a tenant and parishioner of the Abbey (his reneted house was on the site later occupied by the Chapel of Henry VII). It is presumed that his body was re-interred in the Elizabethean tomb erected in his honour. He was also elected as one of 2 "knights of the shire" to represent Kent in 1386 ("The Wonderful Parliament") - the House of Commons then met in the Chapter House of Westminster Abbey. There is also a record of him being present in the Great Hall on 13 Nov in a court case. -
Sackler Family Donation
"Sackler Window", Westminster Abbey -
Naser ed-Din Shah
"To-day we have to visit the Bank, the Tower of London, the churches of St. Paul's and Westminster, as also the Houses of Parliament. .. It is a very grand, solid, and majestic structure. In point of fact, so great a palace is worthy and seemly for the Parliament of England." -
Winston Churchill
Palace of Westminster (as a MP) -
Charles Darwin
Westminster Abbey - buried -
King Chulalongkorn of Siam (Rama V)
(2 August) -
Elias Burton Holmes
See www.youtube.com
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King Charles III
Prince Charles took his seat in the House of Lords (Palace of Westminster) in Feb 1970 - he wanted to play an active part but was warned not to and has never spoken. Interestingly, such ceremonies as his christening and marriage(s) have NOT taken place at the Abbey. -
Painted by JMW Turner
Burning of the House of Lords and Commons 1835 etc. -
Henry Morton Stanley
Was an MP 1895-1900 (Liberal Unionist for Lambeth North). -
Richard Lionheart
Crowned -
Painted by Claude Monet
Monet visited London several times and depicted the Palace of Westminster, which he devoted a series of paintings to. -
Lord Byron
Took his seat in House of Lords in 1811 - defended the Luddites and opposed the established church. Died in Athens (suburb now called "Vyron") but his embalmed body was refused burial at "Poets' Corner" in Westminster Abbey for reasons of "questionable morality". He eventually got a memorial there in 1969! -
Thomas Telford
Westminster Abbey - Buried (in the Nave) 1834. -
Mahatma Gandhi
Gandhi addressed Members of Parliament in a House of Commons committee room in 1906, petitioning the United Kingdom to abolish the Asiatic Registration Act. -
David Livingstone
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Edward I
Born (Palace) and Buried (Abbey) -
Homer B. Hulbert
During his final visit to Seoul in 1949, Homer Hulbert proclaimed, "I would rather be buried in Korea than in Westminster Abbey." Seven days after arriving in Seoul Hulbert passed away. His last wishes were carried out and his grave can still be seen in Seoul today. Homer Hulbert remains a revered figure in Korea. -
Sir Francis Drake
Westminster Abbey contains a modern Memorial (1979) to 3 British "Cimcumnavigators" of different eras - including Drake. See -
Lord Curzon
Curzon sat in both the House of Commons (as MP for Southport) and then later in the Lords (including as Leader of the House of Lords in the 1920s). -
Florence Nightingale
Burial in Westminster abbey was offered on her death in 1910 but the provisions of her will indicated that she wished to be buried in her family grave at Wellow in Hampshire near to the family home at Embley Park. A "Florence Nightingale commemoration service" is held every May in the Abbey. -
Viscount Edmund Allenby
Allenby's ashes are buried in the Nave of Westminster Abbey (he died on a fishing trip in Patagonia!)
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- Geography
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Located in a Capital City
London (Capital of the United Kingdom)
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- Trivia
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Modelled after
Westminster Abbey after Chartres Cathedral -
Depicted in the Ravensburger World Wide Series
Palace of Westminster in London edition -
Tobu World Square
Westminster Abbey, Big Ben-Houses of Parliament -
Reportedly haunted locations
The Abbey - Numerous reported ghosts from across the centuries include a WWI soldier near the "Tomb of the Unknown Warrier" -
One million visitors or more
Westminster Abbey, 1,717,296 (2024) // Westminster Abbey 1,819,945 (2016) -
On Banknotes
on 5 Pound note issued 2017 -
In Video Games
Assassin's Creed Syndicate – Parliament, Westminster Abbey; Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3; Watch Dogs: Legion; Sid Meier's Civilization VI: Big Ben -
On Passports
Houses of Parliament at Westminster in 2015 passport -
Buildable in Lego
Big Ben (4163 pieces)See shop.lego.com
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Replica in Mini-Europe
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WHS within walking distance
Thames walkway (3 out of 4) -
Depicted in Mizielinska Maps
House of ParliamentSee i.pinimg.com
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Opera
Maria Stuarda, Donizetti
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- History
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Diplomatic Missions of Joseon Envoy Min Yonghwan
22 June 1897 (Lunar date: 23/5) Bright. Diamond Jubilee Celebratory Parade along the Imperial Route "I arose early, finished a cup of tea, and put on ceremonial dress. Together with both secretaries and our accompanying official, we went inside the palace gates. We paused there for a while, when suddenly from the palace twenty ceremonial cannon were fired. All the officials came out of the gates riding horses. After a short while the Empress appeared seated in a gold-wheeled carriage with a band marching in front. The princes, ministers, and envoys of each nation all lined up behind in columns and set off. At the sides were columns of horse guards wearing armor and helmets, holding their horses' reins in front of them and moving slowly. Soldiers bearing arms and standing close together lined the imperial route on the left and the right..On either side of the street the walls of the buildings were festooned with an abundance of ribbons and rosettes of every color. In addition, the entire imperial route was strewn with flowers. A sea of ten thousand people all took off their hats and cheered, 'Hoorah!' (a kind of mansei!). The sound shook the streets. The empress gazed around nodding her head. We travelled around one circuit." -
Second World War
The Commons Chamber of Westminster Palace was the venue of the 'Norway Debate' of May 1940. After the Allies failed to prevent the German occupation of Norway, the UK finally decided to create a broadly based coalition government under the leadership of Winston Churchill as Prime Minister. This would stay in place until the end of the war. -
Assassinations
(Westminster Palace) British Prime Minister Spencer Perceval was assassinated by John Bellingham in the lobby of the House of Commons (1812); British MP Airey Neve was assassinated by IRA terrorists in the Palace of Westminster Mar 1979 -
Coronation Locations
Westminster Abbey - Nearly all English/British Monarchs since 1066 -
Queens and Empresses
Queen Victoria laid a foundation of the parliamentary archive tower which later named Victoria Tower after her. -
Treaties
The Treaty of Westminster of 1674 was the peace treaty that ended the Third Anglo-Dutch War.See en.wikipedia.org
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- Architecture
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Architectural design competitions
Westminster Palace - Charles Barry won competition for reconstruction in 1836. -
Wooden architecture
Westminster Hall by Hugh Herland -
Cosmatesque
the high altar of Westminster Abbey.. is decorated with a Cosmatesque marble floor (wiki)See en.wikipedia.org
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Gothic
Abbey -
Gothic Revival
Palace of Westminster
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- Damaged
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Damaged in World War II
During the Second World War (The Blitz), the Palace of Westminster was hit by bombs on fourteen separate occasions. (wiki) -
Terrorist Attacks
On 22 March 2017 a terrorist attack in London began on Westminster Bridge, and continued into Parliament Square and the grounds of the Palace of Westminster. 5 people were killed.See en.wikipedia.org
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- World Heritage Process
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No Buffer Zone
Insc 1987 Subsequently came under pressure to identify buffer Zones (32 COM 8B.72 -" Recommends that a buffer zone with a view to protecting the visual integrity of the inscribed property in its environment be created"). "The mission spent some considerable amount of time discussing and understanding the absence of buffer zones for both the Tower and Westminster World Heritage Sites, which instead are replaced by the definition of "settings".... "Overall, it was explained, the term "buffer zone" carries a negative connotation in the UK. It's perceived as being overly restrictive in that it provides for a blanket protection, which is not fit for complex, dynamic urban environments. Instead, it was put forward, setting is a much broader concept than buffer zone, which is often a hard line on a map,".... "In order not to bother too much with the semantics, it was commonly agreed that the appropriate policies at a local level, and their implementation, make the protection and conservation of World Heritage sites effective - whether surrounded by a buffer zone or a designated setting (Mission Report Dec 2011) -
Minor modifications after inscription
2008: "combine the two existing parts of the property into a single ensemble, by including the portion of the avenue which separates them, that is part of St. Margaret's Street to the north and the start of Abingdon Street to the south."
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- Religion and Belief
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Cathedrals
Westminster Abbey (former): for short periods in the 16th century, the church had cathedral status ("Henry VIII assumed direct control of the abbey in 1539 and granted it the status of a cathedral by charter in 1540, simultaneously issuing letters patent establishing the Diocese of Westminster. By granting the abbey cathedral status, Henry VIII gained an excuse to spare it from the destruction or dissolution which he inflicted on most English abbeys during this period.")See en.wikipedia.org
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- Human Activity
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Famous tapestries
Westminster Abbey is depicted in the Bayeux Tapestry -
Re-routed rivers
Westminster Abbey: Originally built on Thorney Island (or the "Eyot of Thorns") created by 2 branches of the River Tyburn. The river has since been significantly re-routed -
Protective engineering works against flooding
On 7th Jan 1928 Westminster Hall and the House of Commons were flooded in a storm surge. The Embankment was subsequently raised and ultimately the Thames Barrier was built. Consideration is now being given to building increased defences to cover the period after 2030. -
Paintings by Venetian Vedutisti
Westminster by Canaletto -
Historical Graffiti
Coronation Chair in Westminster Abbey: "Most of the graffiti on the back part of the Chair is the result of Westminster schoolboys and visitors carving their names in the 18th and 19th centuries. One of the tourists carved "P. Abbott slept in this chair 5-6 July 1800" on the seat."
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- Constructions
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Sundial
St Margaret's Church has 4 sundials. See description including how wall mounted sundials have to vary in type according to the direction of the wall they are placed on in this "Thames Sundial Trail" link (covers Sundials along the Thames Walk from Westminster to Greenwich)! -
Sites of Parliament
The Palace of Westminster is the meeting place of the Parliament of the United Kingdom -
Dynastic Burial Places
Westminster Abbey, English and British Monarchs -
Famous Bells
"Big Ben" -
Equestrian Statues
Richard the Lionheart (1856 - first shown at the Gt Exhibition). Barry, the Palace of Westminster architect, didn't want this statue placed here. -
Clock Tower
At the Palace of Westminster: the official name of the tower in which Big Ben is located was originally the Clock Tower, but it was renamed Elizabeth Tower in 2012 to mark the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II. The tower dates from 1859.See en.wikipedia.org
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Tomb of the Unknown soldier
"The British tomb of The Unknown Warrior holds an unidentified British soldier killed on a European battlefield during the First World War. He was buried in Westminster Abbey, London on 11 November 1920, simultaneously with a similar interment of a French unknown soldier at the Arc de Triomphe in France, making both tombs the first to honour the unknown dead of the First World War. It is the first example of a Tomb of the Unknown Soldier." (Wiki) -
Carillons
At Big BenSee en.wikipedia.org
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Thrones
"King Edward's Chair (or St Edward's Chair), the throne on which English and British sovereigns have been seated at the moment of crowning, is now housed within the Abbey in St George's Chapel near the West Door, and has been used at every coronation since 1308."See en.wikipedia.org
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Obelisk
Several graves feature a small obelisk with an extra ornament added to the top. Examples are that of Anna Beaumont and the Villiers Family.
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- WHS on Other Lists
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Europa Nostra Award
The Palace of Westminster Conservation Plan, by Donald Insall Associates (Medal 2006)
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- Timeline
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Built in the 13th century
Westminster abbey
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- WHS Hotspots
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London hotspot
In London
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- Science and Technology
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Libraries
House of Common's Library in Westminster palace
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- Visiting conditions
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Undergoing Restoration or Repair
Palace of Westminster - future restoration (that may take up to 6 years)
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- WHS Names
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Name changes
From "Westminster Palace, Westminster Abbey and Saint Margaret's Church" to "Palace of Westminster and Westminster Abbey including Saint Margaret's Church" (2013) -
Named after Queen Victoria
Victoria Tower at the Palace of Westminster: named after and first stone laid by Queen VictoriaSee en.wikipedia.org
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- 18
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In The Simpsons
“Treehouse of Horror XXIII” (2012) -
Blake and Mortimer
See www.geo.fr
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James Bond in Movies
Dr. No (1962), Westminster appears in opening helicopter hijack scenes of For Your Eyes Only (1981) -
In a Hitchcock movie
The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog (1927), Blackmail (1929), Foreign Correspondent (1940), Bon Voyage (1944), and Frenzy (1972). -
In Disney and Pixar Animation Classics
Peter Pan -
Shakespearean plays
Henry IV II Act IV Scene 4 "Westminster -a room at the Palace"; Henry VI Act I Scene I "Westminster Abbey; There are others in Westminster or "The Parliament house" too -
Around the World in Eighty Days
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Featured in the Go Jetters
Series 1: Episode 26: Big Ben
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News
- edition.cnn.com 02/14/2020
- The full extent of World War II da…
- christiantoday.com 08/19/2019
- Archbishop of Canterbury backs bui…
- bbc.com 03/04/2015
- The Houses of Parliament could hav…
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Community Reviews
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I've been to the Westminster Abbey for the first time as far back as 2000, and then at least a couple of times while living in London in the later part of the first decade of the millennium. It is undoubtedly among the most important monuments in London and in all of Britain, and the final resting place of a number of major historical figures. My very dated recollection of it somehow includes free entry and the ability to walk in without waits - twenty years hence, the cost is significant and the queues are pretty long all day around. On my most recent trip to London, even as I wanted my youngest child to see the Abbey, we took one look at the line from behind the fence and decided to pass.
We did go for a tour of the Parliament, though. Getting inside the Westminster Palace was a very welcome first for us, all those past years of residing in London notwithstanding. During recess months, self-guided audio tours are possible daily except Sunday (during in-session months, only Saturday is open for touring), with plenty of available time-slots showing up in the online booking systems even just a few days ahead. The cost is pretty steep - £27 per adult - but then London apparently can only do either free (for national museums) or exorbitant (for everything else).
We showed up for our afternoon time slot almost half an hour early and were waved through the ticket …
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In 2014, we were traveling to Africa and ended up with a 12-hour layover at Heathrow. We took the opportunity to leave the airport and see the city, including Westminster Abbey and the Tower of London. We’d flown through Heathrow many times but this was a chance to explore the city.
Laura was most interested in seeing the Westminster Abbey. For an Anglophile, it really doesn’t get better than this. Westminster Abbey is the historic venue for royal coronations, royal weddings, and royal burials. When it comes to royalty, it’s all about Westminster Abbey. And yes, it’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
But the real reason for her interest is that it is the burial place for Edward III. She’d taken one of those genetic ancestry tests and discovered she was descended from King Edward III. I didn’t break the news to her that something like 80% of the British population alive today can also claim the great Edward III as an ancestor.
When we visited, the Abbey was absolutely mobbed with people undeterred by the rather hefty admission fee (£22+). We’d recommend it if you’re in central London. It’s one of those places to see once in your lifetime, but you probably wouldn’t ever go back unless you’re a die-hard Anglophile.
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This is iconic London: the Palace of Westminster with its distinctive Tower of Big Ben, set against the River Thames, and the nearby Gothic Westminster Abbey, site of coronations and the final resting place for not just members of the royal family, but some of the world's best and brightest. Every time I visit London, I make sure to walk past these buildings steeped in history. Unfortunately, while I have been able to visit parliaments in other parts of the world, including Canberra, Ottawa, Berlin, and even Edinburgh, I have yet to visit London at a time when I could take a tour of the Houses of Parliament in the Palace of Westminster. I hope to rectify this some day. I have made my pilgrimage to the magnificent Westminster Abbey next door, though, and it has a spectacular array of British history buried within its walls. Here lie notable royals, including James VI, Elizabeth I, Mary I, and Henry V. Here also are the graves of writers Charles Dickens, Rudyard Kipling, and Alfred, Lord Tennyson; the musician Georg Frederick Handel; the explorer David Livingstone; the abolitionist William Wilberforce; and scientists Charles Darwin, Sir Isaac Newton, and Sir John Herschel, amongst others. I have not seen the inside of Saint Margaret's Church, which is also inscribed in this World Heritage Site, but I plan to on my next visit to London. This World Heritage Site is essential London.
Logistics: The Palace of Westminster, Westminster Abbey, and Saint Margaret's Church can be …
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My first trip to London was in 1987. At school, you could choose between Berlin, Paris, and London as destinations for an educational trip. I chose London because it seemed to be the most modern and lively of the three, and also because I was quite into English pop bands at the time. According to the pictures I have we visited Buckingham Palace and Big Ben. Several trips followed this one, but I haven't done much sightseeing in London. I probably was too busy browsing bookshops and record stores.
Only in 2016 I 'touched' this site again, putting Westminster Abbey on the to-do list of a day trip to London. My visit started with queuing for some 20 minutes in one of the two lines that lead up from the sides to the North Entrance. Upon entering I was spoken to by one of the vergers. After enquiring where I came from (she did not ask whether I came to worship by the way), this friendly elderly lady said she was sorry that no audio tours in Dutch were available. So I settled for one in English. It’s good that one is provided within the entrance fee, though I wasn’t really impressed by its explanations. It does not go much beyond “This is a church where many famous persons are buried and hey, there’s a throne used for coronations too”. My suggestion for improvement would be to be able to select stories from different angles, so as to learn …
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It's one of the most iconic sites in London so it's no surprise that it's a WHS many people have ticked off. But unfortunately it is much harder to get inside than see it from the outside. I would love to see more regular tours and easier access. I think of Australia's Parliament House in Canberra and the fact it is always open and free and there are no queues. That's how a 'house of the people' should be!
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I undertook work experience with a Member of Parliament in June 2006, so had the chance to see David Cameron debate Tony Blair in the House of Commons. In March 2015 I was invited to visit again, this time taking more time to appreciate the oldest part of the building, Westminster Hall. This was where from the 11th century the earliest parliaments were called by the monarch, usually when he needed to raise a tax to pay for a war.
We paid the ridiculous £18 per person charge to enter Westminster Abbey in April 2015. Although not a cathedral, it is as grand as any in the land and more important than most. The East Face can be appreciated for free from the outside, but you must go inside to see the tombs of many an important monarch or historical figure (including Henry VII, Richard II, Elizabeth and Mary).
The smaller St Margaret’s Church next door is free to enter and a lot quieter. Since Westminster Abbey was originally a Benedictine Abbey, a church was required for the day-to-day worship of parishioners in Westminster.
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I visited all the associated sites of Westminster in June 2013. Maybe I was lucky but there weren't any long queues to be seen. The Houses of Parliament and Big Ben are simply gorgeous day & night and from every angle or point of view. Westminster Abbey's outstanding value surely lies in its historical and cultural importance, while St Margaret's Church was very interesting to visit. London's top WHS hands down, no doubt about it.
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Certainly, the Houses of Parliament is a must see. All tourists take photos from the Westminster Bridge or the opposite bank of the Thames. My photo is from the inside of a pub across the street. If you are in London during the Summer Opening, you should take the opportunity to visit the interior of the Parliament building (recently, there are also tours on Saturdays throughout the year, I think). It is worthwhile despite the long queues at the ticket counter. But I would recommend to order a ticket in advance via this website. This was very convenient, we just had to be at the entrance about 15 minutes prior to the start of the guided tour. We took a tour in English, but there are also tours in other languages. The tour includes the most important areas of the Palace: Westminster Hall, the Robing Room, the Royal Gallery, Lords Chamber, Central Lobby, and the Commons Chamber. It was great to see all these famous rooms that are so full of history. The Houses of Parliament are very different from other parliament buildings in Europe, in particular the Common Chamber. It is a relatively small rectangular room and the two political parties sit opposite each other. The tour was one of the best guided tours I've ever attended. Our guide was excellent, he told many interesting facts about the building, the English history, and he described in detail the traditional State Opening of Parliament. This is a traditional ceremony, …
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This is must see site when in London. So much history associated with the Abbey, not to mention so much to see. At six pounds the 'entry fee' and guided tour is well worth it. Just don't go on a Sunday because the Abbey is closed to tourists thanks to normal church services.
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I recently visited Westminster Abbey with my family last November. It was probably one of my favourite places that i went in the whole of Europe. I was looking at all of the tombs from the royals and it was amazing to recognise the names from my history text books. As i am still at school, i was only just learning about these people and how they influenced the way england is today. I was able to email my friends and say, "you know that person we were learning about in history, I just visited there tomb." It was amazing and it made the history so interesting when i got back to school. The only dissapointment was that you are not allowed to take photos but that is understandable as they are trying to show respect and also photography can damage these historical artifacts. I serously reccomend Westminster Abbey to anyone travelling to the UK.
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Westminster is one of those unmissable (and not to be missed) sites that you just stumble across when you come to London and that you can´t escape - you come into London´s centre and there it is. However, it is also very interesting and should be visited even if it were far off the beaten track. Of course it isn´t, as the millions of other visitors easily attest to. Westminster Palace is a monument to democracy, maybe architecturally less interesting (except of course for Big Ben) from the outside, but the inside is really fascinating and you can do a guided tour that lets you see the Houses of Parliament (certainly in summer, not sure about other times of year when parliament is in session). St.Margaret´s Church is a small gem that should not be missed, but of course most people head straight to Westminster Abbey, Britain´s greatest religous building and a historical monument par excellence. It is the site of the coronation of the kings and queens of England since William the Conqueror claimed his new country´s crown in 1066, and also the burial place for most of them. There are numerous monuments and plaques dedicated to famous historical personalities, from Shakespeare to Mary Queen of Scots. Huge crowds, but still doubtlessly worth the visit. By the way, not too far away (toward Victoria Station) is Westminster Cathedral - not to be confused with the Abbey -, which is Britain´s major Catholic church.
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My single experience of Westminster Abbey, is that I wasn't allowed to sit and sketch the interiors without a permit! Otherwise, not terribly remarkable architecture. Yes, the history is the main thing. So a visit may be somewhat disappointing.
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I think I can find out the whole history of Britain inside the Westminster Abbey. There has a monument for Sir Winston Churchill near the exit of the Abbey. He was not buried at Westminster. He was buried inside Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire, which is also a World Heritage Site
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This was London’s first World Heritage site and in my mind its finest, it really should not be be missed.
The original proposal was for just the Palace of Westminster (Houses of Parliament) but it was sent back and asked to include the Abbey to show the Architectural influence, the Abbey being Gothic and the Palace Neo-Gothic.
I truly love the Houses of Parliament; I may be a little biased as I study Politics, however I can’t think of a single building in Europe I find more impressive than this. The façade is perhaps the high point of Neo-Gothic architecture, built after a fire in 1834, it features perhaps the most iconic symbol of Britain; Big Ben (this is actually the name of the bell housed inside the Clock Tower but everyone calls the tower Big Ben and to be fair so do I) The current Palace does however contain part of the original structure in Westminster Hall which was built in 1097 the roof of which is viewed as being the best surviving example of medieval English carpentry.
If you are lucky enough to get inside then the level of detail is awesome and many areas are opulent, these are the details that normally bore me rigid in Palaces and Stately Homes as they were mostly made for one particularly rich person or family, however in the houses of parliament these are made to help govern the country, and so I feel a real pride in seeing them.
One …
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I visited this site in mid October 2002 during a brief official visit from the USA. Waited for just 5 minutes to get into Westminster Abbey. This site is a masterpiece with the tombs of Kings and Queens. The history dates back to 11th century! William the Conquerer's coronation was held in the Norman Abbey at 1066! The rose windows were very impressive. A definite must visit in London. Do go inside and explore. Worth every penny of the 6.00 pound entry fee.
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