Westminster Abbey

Westminster Abbey stands out to me as the religious center of English life. It has played an important role in the country's ecclesiastical dealings since, as the Abbey’s official website tells us, the time when “Benedictine monks first came to this site in the middle of the tenth century.” It has been used as a place for daily worship ever since that time.

The current building was begun in 1050 by Edward “the Confessor,” whose death and subsequent bungled succession would result in the Norman invasion of 1066. It is ironic to consider that he looked to Norman architecture to plan his abbey, when only a few years later the country would be ruled by the Normans. In fact, William was crowned on Christmas Day in 1066 at Westminster Abbey. The Abbey has been the setting of coronations since that time. Today, all that remains of the Abbey’s Norman ancestry are the round arches and huge supporting columns of the undercroft in the cloisters. This area now houses the Abbey Museum, but was originally part of the living quarters of the monks. Something else I thought was interesting is that the Abbey is home to the oldest door in England, which has survived since the 11th century. It now hands in the vestibule of the Chapter House.

A spectacular part of the Abbey for me was the Lady chapel, built by King Henry VII--the first of the Tudor monarchs--between 1503 and 1519 to replace the 13th century chapel. The Perpendicular architecture here is in total contrast to the rest of the Abbey. In regards to who designed the chapel, “No accounts for this building have been found, but it is thought that the architects were Robert Janyns and William Vertue” (Westminster Abbey). It has been called "one of the most perfect buildings ever erected in England" and "the wonder of the world". The chapel is roofed with a remarkable fan vault design and emanates with colored light from the stained glass windows. The windows depict the Battle of Britain, created by Hugh Easton.

One of the most interesting stories of the Abbey deals with the Coronation Chair, whose history has implications for the importance of the Church in state affairs in medieval times. Hibbert tells us that in his war against the Scots, Edward I triumphed and “returned . . . to England carrying with him the Stone of Scone on which the Kings of Scotland had long been crowned. He took it to Westminster Abbey where it can still be seen beneath the Coronation Chair which Edward had constructed to enclose it and which has been used for every coronation performed in the Abbey since his time” (77). In recent history, the former Prime Minister Tony Blair gave the Stone of Scone back to Scotland, where it now resides.

Among Westminster Abbey’s historical ironies is that of the tomb of Queen Elizabeth I and her sister Mary, who is also known as “Bloody Mary.” The two sisters were never great friend. Besides the fact that their father, Henry VIII, divorced Mary’s mother in order to marry Elizabeth’s mother, the two were also bitter religious rivals. Elizabeth, who landed on the side of the Protestants and Anglican church, was greatly displeased with the religious zeal with which Mary persecuted anyone who wasn’t Catholic. Given their tension-filled relationship, it is no small irony that they are buried in the same tomb at Westminster Abbey.

Another significant section of the Abbey is Poets’ Corner, which house the remains or tombs of such notable authors as Chaucer, Keats, Shelley, Byron, Eliot, Auden, Wordsworth, the Brontes, Austen, and Dr. Johnson. My personal favorite was Thomas Hardy. I think it’s a fitting tribute to these great thinkers to be placed in such a prominent and important church.

A final section of the Abbey I enjoyed were the cloisters. They are the most atmospheric of the building, and when Big Ben tolls just across the street, the scene is peaceful and contemplative, putting you in mind of the ages that have passed.

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Works Cited

Hibbert, Christopher. The Story of England. London: Phaidon, 1992.

Morgan, Kenneth O. Ed. The Oxford History of Britain. Oxford: Oxford UP, 1999.

Westminster Abbey. 2007. http://www.westminster-abbey.org/. Accessed 12 June 2008 from http://www.westminster-abbey.org/history-research/.