Westminster Abbey from the Outside
March 26th 2008 05:14
Westminster Abbey by Night, by ed 2gs
Thanks to wikimedia commons user ed 2gs for making this lovely image of Westminster Abbey available. GNU Free Documentation LIcense.
Westminster Abbey, a treasure chest of history inside, is impressive outside too. It's not just the spires and the realization that such massive stone can look so delicate. What intrigues me is the infinite detail - carved figures everywhere, symbols dating back two thousand years, telling the story of worship in the Christian tradition.
Where
London A to Z Reference: 1E 154.
Nearest Tubes: Westminster, St James's Park, Pimlico
Very close to the Houses of Parliament - just across the street in fact.
Visitors often mistake the smaller St Margaret's Church for the Abbey until they see the Abbey for the first time. Little St Margaret's is the parliamentarians' church, small and intimate, and worth a look in.
Westminster Cathedral, is another place altogether - don't get confused by it either.
Westminster Abbey is a living church building which, because of its historic and spiritual prominence, is usually open to the public. It is good to remember that this is a place of worship, not a tourist attraction. There are facilities here for the bare necessities - washrooms (after paying the admission fee) and a tea stall or two - but don't plan your meal and rest stop here specifically.
(There are other toilets in the area, for example at the Westminster Tube station, where there may be a small charge - this changes with the political tides).
There is a charge to visit the inside of Westminster Abbey. There is no charge to come in to worship.
More about visiting the Abbey will appear in a later blog - or several. For now - yes - a very good place to visit.
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