I returned to London last weekend to visit my son and take a tour of Westminster Abbey.
I am always interested to discover how other people started blogging. After I retired, I did some mystery shopping. One of my jobs was to visit local National Trust properties. I discovered that I enjoyed writing the sometimes lengthy reports that were required and taking photos even if they were of empty soap dispensers in the toilets.
I wondered if other people would be interested in my experiences and I found rather to my suprise that they were. More unexpectedly I discovered that blogging has given me some eclectic bonuses. Some good, some bad. This month I have been product testing a shampoo that has left my hair very dry. (I won’t be recommending it.) The other opportunity that I was offered was much nicer.
I am an affiliate for GetyourGuide. If anyone books a tour through my link, I get a small commission. Recently, they offered me the chance to preview an activity in London in exchange for an honest review. I opted for a two and a half hour private tour of Westminster Abbey and my son Richard who lives in London agreed to join me and act as my photographer.
Westminster Abbey
We met our guide by the statue of Oliver Cromwell by Westminster Hall which was used for the Queen’s lying in state earlier this month. The abbey has reopened after the Queen’s funeral and there was a long queue of visitors eager to see inside. Luckily our tour included skip the line tickets.
Our very knowledgeable guide explained that the abbey is a royal peculiar not a diocesan church. The Dean reports directly to the King as head of the church of England not the archbishop of Canterbury. Every monarch since William the Conqueror has been crowned in the Abbey using the same rites. Many kings and Queens are also buried there. The building we see today was begun by Henry III in 1245 and is considered to be one of the most important gothic buildings.
Burials
The tomb of the unknown soldier is the only grave that visitors are not allowed to walk over. As well as kings and queens the crypt also contains the remains of many writers, musicians and scientists including Chaucer, Shakespeare, Dickens, Herschel, Newton and Darwin. Nowadays burials are not allowed but cremation ashes are accepted.
The abbey itself has a very high ceiling and is light inside.
Art in Westminster Abbey
It also has some very beautiful paintings and mosaics.
The Cosmati pavement in front of the high altar.
Coffee break
After our tour we enjoyed an excellent lunch of quiche and salad in the abbey cafe.
I promised you an old door
Every Thursday door lovers from around the world come together to share photographs of doors and the stories behind them. This week I am offering you the oldest door in Britain. This rather plain door has been dated by dendrochronology to the founding of Westminster Abbey by Edward the Confessor in 1065 A.D. Scientists found that all the planks were cut from a single tree which probably grew in Essex between 924 and 1030. It would originally have been covered in cowhide. It is possible that William the Conqueror walked through it before his coronation.
Stop press
It has just been announced that King Charles III will be crowned in the Abbey on May 6th 2023.
I would like to thank GetyourGuide for providing us with this opportunity and recommend them as an affiliate partner to other bloggers.
3 responses to “A visit to Westminster Abbey and an old door”
That looks like such a lovely trip to the abbey. It is so beautiful inside and out.
Thanks for visiting. It is a beautiful building.
Thanks for sharing the oldest door and your other lovely photos. I saw Westminster Abbey from the outside when I was in London, but I was there on business and didn’t have time for a tour. I opted to visit a friend in Ipswich with the extra time I had. I love learning about little bits of history. To me, that’s the mark of a good guide.