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Westminster Abbey

The Basics

The land on which Westminster Abbey stands was once an island overgrown with brambles. It was some time in the eighth century that the first church was built here. There was always likely to be something special about the site from the moment that the bishop of London was interrupted on his way to consecrate the church by a visitation from St Peter, who did the job for him, before rising back to heaven amid a celestial choir…

westminster silhouette
Rebuilt and greatly enlarged by Edward the Confessor in the 11th century, the church became one of the ecclesiastical glories of Europe, although the King died only a few days after the service of dedication. He was the first monarch to be buried there. The Abbey we see today is the work of the 13th century, when Henry III had it rebuilt again in the soaring Gothic style.

The Abbey’s central place in the life of the nation is reflected in the fact that it has been the scene of nearly every royal coronation since 1066. It is the resting-place of monarchs and statesmen, scientists and poets, as well as the Unknown Soldier of the Great War, a lasting record of our nation’s story.