Today I headed off to Westminster Abbey – to look at the inside this time. Over 3,000 people are buried in these hallowed walls, mostly Kings and Queens of old, but also famous writers, scholars, poets and more. There are tombs everywhere, some with massive monuments, others are right beneath your feet, with just engravings to mark their site.
This has been my favourite thing to see so far. I cannot describe to you how amazing the inside of the Abbey is. The ceilings are so high they seem to go on forever and the gothic structures and history are unsurpassable. When you first walk in it is completely overwhelming, with stained glass windows, a golden alter and a special section for the choir, with an organ that stretches on forever. It is here at this main alter where Prince William and Kate Middleton will be married. The original marble floors are so delicate they will need to be protected with carpet to prevent damage. The lovely volunteers demonstrated where the carriage would pull up (the western entrance) and where the Queen would sit – front row viewing of course. They expect around 2,000 people to attend, although a lot of these will be behind the choir area, so won’t have the best view. The choir is made up of just over thirty boys ranging from age 6 – 13. Anyone can apply to join the choir and it is highly competitive, because if selected they get all their education, board, food etc free – nothing at all to pay. They attend a special choir school and after turning 13 they go back to normal school once again. I also learnt that when the current Queen had her coronation, a series of tiers were built in the Abbey to accommodate the 8,000 people set to attend. This is why it was 18 months after taking the throne before Elizabeth had her coronation, as it took this long to build the structures. And you should have seen how high they went – right up to the bottom of the top stained glass window – trust me, it was high!!!! Once seated, guests had to remain so for around five hours until the ceremony was over – bet the bathrooms were inundated!!! This main alter is also where Princess Diana and the Queen Mother’s bodies were placed for their funerals.
There are a series of chapels as you make your way around the Abbey, each containing massive monuments and inscriptions for the dead – duchesses, dukes, knights – many of them buried in the 1400’s, 1500’s and 1600’s. Edward the Confessor ( the Abbey’s founder) has a massive tomb here. He was regarded as such a saint that sick people were brought to spend the night by his tomb in the hope of curing them.
The highlight though was Henry VII’s Lady Chapel. Now I know you shouldn’t utter the words ‘holy crap’ within such sacred walls, but there was no other way to describe it. The intricate detail on the ceilings is incredible. Henry VIII’s little boy is buried here under the alter, and even Oliver Cromwell was buried here – for two years. After that he was dug up, hung, decapitated and shipped off elsewhere – so much for rest in peace. I guess he did contribute to the downfall of the monarchy though – seems they got their revenge.
In a room off to the side lie the tombs of Queen Elizabeth I and her half-sister Mary. The likeness on top of the tomb looks just like Elizabeth, with the face believed to have been cast from her death mask – hence the realism. Across the hall is the tomb of Mary Queen of Scots. It is supposed to be more grand than Elizabeth’s as specified by Mary’s son once he came to power. That’s right Queenie – you had my Mum killed, so I’m giving her a bigger tomb than you. However I couldn’t view it as it was closed for restoration.
Then it’s onto poet’s corner where the likes of Charles Dickens, Chaucer, Handel and Lawrence Olivier are buried. There are lots of other memorials to Jane Austen, Lewis Carroll, the Bronte sisters, Shakespeare and dozens of others, although their bodies are located elsewhere. Anne of Cleves (one of Henry VIII’s wives is also located near here).
The Nave is another glorious section that houses the tomb of the unknown warrior, a monument representing all of those unidentified victims of war, as well as Sir Isaac Newton and Charles Darwin (although his monument is a lot smaller, so sad to say the Church probably still feels some animosity there).
Finally there are the Cloisters, where the Monks once lived and worked, in fact some families still live on site here, and it is cold!!!!! There is a door here believed to be the oldest door in England, built in 1050. Wow! That’s old! There is a lovely garden outside (where I was finally able to take some pictures, as they aren’t permitted elsewhere in the Abbey).
Well anyway, I think I have talked about the Abbey quite enough, but there really is something magical about this place, and the guides are really friendly. It almost makes me wish I was religious – reckon I might be if I could worship in a place like that all the time. There are many services held at the Abbey, so I might just attend one at some point. To hear the choir alone would be phenomenal.
Oh, one more cool thing, the Coronation Chair, built in the late 1200’s. It has been used for every coronation since and replicas of all the sceptres, swords and crowns used in the ceremony were on display in the Abbey Museum. This thing is so old that it needs constant restoration, it even has graffiti on it from the choir boys over the years. The stone used as part of the seat is sacred to Scotland, so has been returned there until it is needed for the next coronation, which will be good old Charlie(or preferably William).
That night I went with a girl I had met (Saba) to Chinatown to celebrate the Chinese New Year of the rabbit. Unfortunately, there were some departure delays, and we arrived just in time to hear them announce it was all over. This was a real shame, as I had been looking forward to the event all week. Nevertheless we still looked around and had a lovely dinner – and I must say, they were very efficient at cleaning up afterwards, within a few hours the streets had been cleared of rubbish and washed. Very efficient.
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