Westminster Abbey

So one of our English friends made fun of us for going there because it's touristy. I suppose not too many native Londoners have stepped foot inside, which I really think is a shame because it's incredible. Of course we live in New York and I have never been to the Statue of Liberty, so maybe we are even. Anyway, I went to the Abbey expecting nothing more than an old church but left feeling enchanted and haunted by the history and beauty of it.

Get there early, they have short hours: 10:30 to 4:00 pm. We were completely unprepared for this, thinking any place would be open until at least 5 and we showed up at 3:00 so we really had to hurry to see everything. You definitely want to set aside a few hours for this place if not a half-day.

That said, it was amazing. When we walked in there was beautiful angelic singing coming from a boy's choir that filled the whole place, beautiful old latin hymns that transported us back in time a few centuries. As you listen you can walk through and see the tombs of kings and queens that span a thousand years. Among those buried there are Laurence Olivier, Charles Dickens, Henry VIII and Elizabeth I. We walked around for a bit but ended up sneaking onto a tour already in progress because the tour guide was so enigmatic and a complete character. He told fascinating stories about each tomb and the hall of flags making sure to leave in the bawdy and vulnerably human bits. Dark and bloody history with so many complicated plot-lines I can't get it all straight, but the place definitely feels alive with ghosts of great men.

One of the most interesting things to see was the coronation chair, where all the kings of England were crowned. On it there is graffiti that is hundreds of years old, carved into the chair by mischievous choir boys when no one was looking. It was interesting to see something so contemporary and relate-able on an ancient relic as 17th century graffiti.

We sat at the pews when the choir began Gregorian chanting and it was incredibly meditative, I wished that we could stay and listen but they began to shoo us out since it was almost 4pm and closing time. Next time I will reserve more time to soak it all in.

...And I would even recommend it even to a skeptical Londoner.

Some of my most precious moments have been spent in this Church of England Cathedral.

I found it a privilege to be seated for an Anglican Midnight Mass and to share in Christmas hospitality in the Cloisters.

A wonderful spiritual experience.

For historical value, you probably can't find a place in London that surpasses Westminster Abbey. The list of famous personages that are buried or memorialized there would require a great deal of space and can be found elsewhere on the Internet. (Try Wikipedia.)

As a place of worship, however, it's a sad commentary on the state of religion in England. Lots of great monuments to kings, queens, unknown nobles and war dead, virtually nothing about saints or those who provided models of Christian virtue (excepting the statues far atop one of the entrances--you might miss them if someone didn't point them out). You are not allowed to visit the tomb of St. Edward the Confessor (who was also a king--I guess that's how he made it in) which might provide you with some connection to Christianity. Memorials to John and Charles Wesley--which might appeal to some Methodist tourists perhaps--were cordoned off and had folding chairs and tables stacked against them. I guess these guys are still not popular with Anglicans. Overall the Abbey is a fascinating study of how power and privilege usurped a place of honor in a religion that is supposed to be dedicated to the service of "the least of these."

Finally, you really need to get the audio tour because the "docents" are clueless.