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Westminster Abbey is basically a Gothic Church and its profile is more of a Cathedral located in Westminster, towards the west side of the Palace of Westminster. It serves as the venue of coronation as well as burial of British monarchy.
Westminster Abbey- An Architectural Marvel
It's a stunning architectural marvel, which dots the London city landscape. The Abbey has been the venue for every Coronation that has taken place since 1066 in Britain. Today it still serves as a church and is one of the most preferred places of Christian congregation in London. However, one has to bear in mind that the Abbey is neither a parish church nor a cathedral, but somewhere in between.
Westminster Abbey- A home for Commemorative Monuments
The Abbey is home to more than 600 commemorative monuments, which is undoubtedly the most significant collection of monuments in the whole of UK. A staggering 3000 people are buried here and one the most revered monuments is the one which has the engraving written as - "The Unknown Warrior".
The Lady Chapel in particular is splendid which has a stunning fan vaulted roof and the superb craftsmanship of renowned Italian sculptor Torrigiano, is amply evident in the grave of Henry VII.
The year 1540 saw the culmination of the medieval monastery. But the rituals and prayers never ceased. It continues even today.
Of course, during its 900-year-old history, the Abbey has witnessed lot of renovation and even extension, but the core area has remained unchanged.
Graves of Renowned Personalities at Westminster Abbey Transepts
The transepts which are located to the north and south are virtual treasure trove. The southern transepts which is popularly called as Statesman's Aisle has the graves of renowned personalities like William Pitt, Charles Fox, William Gladstone, Benjamin Disraeli to name just a few. You will be particularly amazed by the Roubiliac to Lady Elizabeth Nightingale which demonstrates a skeletal figure of Death emerge from a cave and aim its dart at the vanishing lady.
While the south transept is known for its beautiful rose window, the glasses of which dates back to 1902. You will marvel at the two exquisite 13th century wall paintings that adorn the door to St. Faith's Chapel. Particularly the manner in which Christ is seen depicting his wounds to Doubting Thomas and St. Christopher.
One of the most popular façade of the Abbey is the Poet's Corner. The first poet to be buried at Poet's Corner was Geoffrey Chaucer. Even the great Edmund Spencer too was buried here. William Shakespeare who was originally buried at Stratford-upon-Avon was moved here in 1740, when a monument designed by William Kent in honor of the great poet appeared in Poet's Corner.
The Chapter House is one of the must-see places at the Abbey. It was from here that the monastery functioned and it also used to be the venue where the parliament met in the 14th century.
No visit to Westminster Abbey is complete without a visit to the library, which has an impressive collection of historical books, manuscripts and archived materials.
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