Westminster Abbey

Overview

There's more than a millennium of history at Westminster Abbey. Founded by Benedictine monks in the tenth century, it has hosted 40 coronations since 1066, and today holds over 3300 burials and more than 600 monuments. The current building is a 13th-century marvel of Gothic architecture with high vaulted ceilings and dramatic arches, added to in the centuries that followed.

Wander through this World Heritage Site, see the shrine to Edward the Confessor at its heart, the elaborate 19th-century stained glass windows, the literature pilgrimage that is Poets' Corner, sculptures by Thomas Brock and well-known tombs that include Sir Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, Charles Dickens, Stephen Hawking and the Unknown Warrior. Time it right, and you can attend one of the daily services or hear the world-famous choir and organists.