Westminster Abbey & St Paul's Cathedral
The Two Main Cathedrals To Visit In Central London
 |
| Westminster Cathedral |
OK, there are of course lots of interesting and worthwhile religious places to visit in London. However this web site is aimed at visitors to London, so here we focus on the two main religious destinations visited by first time visitors to London - Westminster Abbey and St Paul's Cathedral.
Remember both are primarily working religious churches, though visitors are very welcome and an important source of funding. Do check before you visit, as access to the public can be stopped at any time. Religious activities and state occasions take a firm priority over the needs of visitors.
Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey Official Web Site
Westminster Abbey is England's main religious building. Originally built in Saxon times in the 7th Century, its real importance dates from 1065 with Edward the Confessor setting up his throne here. Since that time Government has always been centred on Westminster, with commercial activity centred on the City of London to the east.
Westminster Abbey History
The present church was begun by Henry III in 1245. By the 16th Century in Tudor times, Westminster Abbey had become the setting for coronations, royal marriages and funerals.
Every year Westminster Abbey welcomes over one million visitors and is very much part of the standard tourist trail complete with large coach parties. It should be remembered The Abbey is very much a working church. It is closed Sundays for worship and restrictions are regularly applied adhoc in response to religious events.
 |
 |
 |
Every monarch since William the Conqueror, with the exception of Edward V and Edward VIII who were never crowned, has been crowned in the Abbey. The first documented coronation here was that of William the Conqueror in 1066, the most recent was that of Queen Elizabeth II on 2 June 1953. The decision to televise the coronation of the present Queen in 1953 made it possible for the general public to witness the ceremony in its entirety for the first time.
The Benedictine monastery at Westminster was dissolved in 1540 as part of the impact of Henry VIII's creation of the Church of England breaking away from the Catholic Church. Since then Westminster Abbey has just performed the role of church.
Visiting Westminster Abbey
Please check the Westminster Abbey official web site, (link at top of page) for current opening times and admission prices. Check especially for events or services that may affect your visit on the day you are planning.
Verger-led tours of the Abbey are available, in English, for individuals or family groups only (and not for larger parties or school visits). They start at the North Door, last for approximately 90 minutes and include a tour of the Shrine (containing the tomb of Saint Edward the Confessor), the Royal Tombs, Poets' Corner, the Cloisters and the Nave.
Audio-guides are also available to visitors to take their own time to visit the Abbey. This tour takes around one hour.
Getting To Westminster Abbey
Westminster Underground station is opposite Westminster Abbey.
The District, Circle and Jubilee Lines all service the station. The Underground station was redeveloped recently and is much more roomy, airy and modern than the typical Underground station.
By Westminster Bridge by Big Ben which is the other side of Parliament Square from Westminster Abbey is Westminster Pier, where scheduled river boats ply the River Thames. Most popular/frequent route is to the Tower of London, but you can go as far as Hampton Court during the summer months.
The very popular hop on, hop off London tour buses of course also stop at Westminster Abbey.
 |
| St Paul's Cathedral |
St Paul's Cathedral History
St Paul's Cathedral Official Web Site
Designed by Christopher Wren, St Paul's Cathedral was built between 1675 and 1710 as a replacement for the cathedral burnt down in the great fire of London.
In medieval times executions took place outside St Paul's Cathedral. This included in 1606 the conspirators of the Gunpowder Plot to blow up the King, James 1 and 500 MP's at Westminster. The churchyard was also once a centre for second hand books and a publishing area. Shakespeare is just one who was published from here.
The original St Paul's was found in 604. Several buildings have stood here, the current one dates back to 1666 when the Great Fire of London occurred and St Paul's' had to be rebuilt. The first service was held in 1697, a special levy on coal being applied to pay for the building. Christopher Wren was responsible for the Cathedral and it is acknowledged as one of the finest buildings of its era.
The Cathedral is famous for its dome, the second biggest in the world after St Peter's in Rome. Many royal marriages have taken place here including that of Prince Charles and Diana in 1981.
National heroes, including Lord Nelson, the Duke of Wellington, and Winston Churchill are buried in the Cathedral’s Crypt.
An American Memorial Chapel was rebuilt after the Blitz and commemorates members of the US forces who gave their lives in Britain during the Second World War.
The pinnacle of any trip to St Paul’s is to climb the spiral staircase to the Whispering Gallery to sample its unique audio effects before traveling up and out to the Stone and Golden Galleries, which afford a panoramic view of London that is second to none!
Visiting St Paul's Cathedral
Please check the St Paul's Cathedral official web site, (link above) for current opening times and admission prices. St-Paul's is a fully working Anglican Cathedral with frequent services throughout the week so check especially for events or services that may affect your visit on the day you are planning.
A guided tour of the Cathedral and Crypt lasting between 1.5 and 2 hours.
Audio-guides are also available to visitors to take their own time to visit the Cathedral. This tour takes around one hour.
Getting To St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's has an Underground station named after it on the Central Line. Blackfriars Station on the Circle and District Line is only about 300m from St Paul's Cathedral too. Blackfriars also has a railway station used by the First Capital trains between Gatwick and Luton stopping amongst others at St Pancras and London Bridge.
Frequent buses connect St Paul's Cathedral with the Tower of London. Going the other way many buses travel through Aldwych and onto Trafalgar Square, geographically the Centre of London. The Millennium pedestrian bridge crosses the River Thames in front of St Paul's Cathedral over to Shakespeare's Globe Theatre and the Tate Modern museum.
The very popular hop on, hop off London tour buses of course also stop at Westminster Abbey.
 |