Westminster Abbey

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Westminster Palace, Westminster Abbey and Saint Margaret's Church*
UNESCO World Heritage Site
State Party	United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Type	Cultural
Criteria	I, II, IV
Reference	426
Region**	Europe and North America
Inscription history
Inscription	1987  (11th Session)
* Name as inscribed on World Heritage List. ** Region as classified by UNESCO.

The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, which is almost always referred to popularly and informally as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in Westminster, London, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English, later British and later still (and currently) monarchs of the Commonwealth Realms. It briefly held the status of a cathedral from 1546–1556, and is a Royal Peculiar.

Westminster Abbey is governed by the Dean and Chapter of Westminster, as established by Royal Charter of Queen Elizabeth I in 1560, which created it as the Collegiate Church of St Peter Westminster and a Royal Peculiar under the personal jurisdiction of the Sovereign. The members of the Chapter are the Dean and four residentiary Canons, assisted by the Receiver General and Chapter Clerk. One of the Canons is also Rector of St Margaret’s Church Westminster Abbey (who also holds the post of Chaplain to the Speaker of the House of Commons). In addition to the Dean and Canons there are at present two full time minor canons, one precentor the other succentor. The office of Priest Vicar was created in the 1970s for those who assist the minor canons. Together with the Clergy and Receiver General and Chapter Clerk various Lay Officers constitute the College, including the Organist and Master of the Choristers, the Registrar, the Auditor, the Legal Secretary, the Surveyor of the Fabric, the Head Master of the Choir School, the Keeper of the Muniments and the Clerk of the Works, as well as twelve Lay Vicars and ten of the choristers and the High Steward and High Bailiff. There are also forty Queen’s Scholars who are pupils at Westminster School (the School has its own Governing Body). Those most directly concerned with liturgical and ceremonial matters are the two Minor Canons and the Organist and Master of the Choristers.

[edit] Chapter

The Chapter house was built concurrently with the east parts of the abbey under Henry III, between about 1245 and 1253. It was restored by Sir Gilbert Scott in 1872. The entrance is approached from the east cloister walk and includes a double doorway with a large tympanum above. Inner and outer vestibules lead to the octagonal chapter house, which is of exceptional architectural purity. It is built in a Geometrical Gothic style with an octagonal crypt below. A pier of eight shafts carries the vaulted ceiling. To the sides are blind arcading, remains of 14th century paintings and numerous stone benches above which are innovatory large 4-light quatre-foiled windows. These are virtually contemporary with Le Sainte Chapelle, Paris. The chapter house has an original mid-13th century tiled pavement. A door within the vestibule dates from around 1050 and is believed to be the oldest in England. The exterior includes flying buttresses added in the 14th century and a leaded tent-lantern roof on an iron frame designed by Scott. The Chapter house was originally used in the 13th century by Benedictine monks for daily meetings. It later became a meeting place of the King's Great Council and the Commons, predecessors of Parliament.

The Pyx Chamber formed the undercroft of the monks' dormitory. It dates to the late 11th century and was used as a monastic and royal treasury. The outer walls and circular piers are of 11th century date, several of the capitals were enriched in the 12th century and the stone altar added in the 13th century. The term 'pyx' refers to the boxwood chest in which coins were held and presented to a jury during the Trial of the Pyx, in which newly minted coins were presented to ensure they conformed to the required standards.

The Chapter house and Pyx Chamber at Westminster Abbey are in the guardianship of English Heritage, but under the care and management of the Dean and Chapter of Westminster. This arrangement is seen by some as a deliberate ploy to secure unwarranted funding since it is doubtful that the Abbey, when considered as a whole, would meet the criteria for substantial English Heritage funding. During the last year, English Heritage have funded a major programme of work on the Chapter, comprising repairs to the roof, gutters, stonework on the elevations and flying buttresses, and repairs to the lead light.

[edit] Museum

The Westminster Abbey Museum is located in the 11th-century vaulted undercroft beneath the former monks' dormitory in Westminster Abbey. This is one of the oldest areas of the Abbey, dating back almost to the foundation of the Norman church by Edward the Confessor in 1065. This space has been used as a museum since 1908.[14]

[edit] Exhibits

The exhibits include a unique collection of royal and other funeral effigies (funeral saddle, helm and shield of Henry V), together with other treasures, including some panels of medieval glass, 12th-century sculpture fragments, Mary II's coronation chair and replicas of the coronation regalia, effigies of Edward III, Henry VII and his queen, Elizabeth I, Charles II, William III, Mary II and Queen Anne.

Later wax effigies include a striking likeness of Horatio, Viscount Nelson, wearing some of his own clothes and another of Prime Minister William Pitt, Earl of Chatham, modelled by the American-born sculptor Patience Wright.[citation needed] During recent conservation of Elizabeth I's effigy, a unique corset dating from 1603 was found on the figure and is now displayed separately.[citation needed]

A recent addition to the display is the late 13th-century Westminster Retable, England's oldest altarpiece. It was most probably designed for the High Altar of the Abbey, although it has been damaged in past centuries. The panel has been expertly cleaned and conserved.

[edit] Development plans

In June 2009, the first major building work at the Abbey for 250 years was announced. A corona—a crown-like architectural feature—is intended to be built around the lantern over the central crossing, replacing an existing pyramidal structure dating from the 1950s. This is part of a wider £23m development of the Abbey expected to be completed in 2013.[15][16]

[edit] Gallery

The Great West Door and towers, as seen from Tothill Street	A view of from the nearby London Eye to the North East	At night, from Dean's Yard to the South; artificial light highlights the flying buttresses	The North entrance
Four of the ten Christian martyrs depicted in statues above the Great West Door	Handel Commemoration in 1784	The Quire in 1848.	The tomb of King Henry III of England.
The West face from below	The cloisters of Westminster Abbey looking South West towards Victoria Tower.	View from the roof of nearby Westminster Central Hall.	The west front of Westminster Abbey, with Victoria Tower visible to the East.

[edit] See also

London portal

• Westminster Abbey Burials and Memorials
• List of Abbots of Westminster
• List of Deans of Westminster
• List of churches and cathedrals of London
• List of other famous burial sites
• The Unknown Warrior
• The Abbey, a 1995 BBC TV documentary film

[edit] Notes

[edit] References

[edit] External links

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• Official site
• Keith Short - Sculptor Images of stone carving for Westminster Abbey
  • Mystery Worshipper Report at the Ship of Fools website
• Carved Crests for the Knights of the Bath
• A history of the choristers and choir school of Westminster Abbey
• Catholic Encyclopedia: Westminster Abbey
• Adrian Fletcher’s Paradoxplace Westminster Abbey Pages — Photos
• A panorama of Westminster Abbey in daytime – JPEG and 3D Quicktime versions
• Westminster Abbey on Twitter.com

Anglicanism portal

Coordinates: 51°29′58″N 0°07′39″W / 51.49944°N 0.1275°W / 51.49944; -0.1275

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Annotations

• N michael j. gresk m.a. on Tue 21 Oct 2003, 06:11pm. Flag this

  necropolis of royality, scientists, artists, musicians. the note-worthy and those who thought the were. the tomb of edward confessor is the focal point. a medieval pligrimage destination. the 13 th century abbey fabric is english gothic/perpendicular built by henry III, with many varing styles represented in tombs & shrines. the coronation chair, the quads, museum displays must be seen.

• N Michael Robinson on Fri 31 Oct 2008, 07:14am. Flag this

  Wencaslaus Hollar (Czech/British, 1607-1677)

  Westminster from the river; view of Westminster abbey taken from mid-stream, with the Parliament on the left the Hall and Westminster stairs in the centre; boats in the foreground.
  Etching, 1647.
  http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/search_the_collection_database/search_object_details.aspx?objectid=1504096&partid=1&searchText=Hollar+London&fromADBC=ad&toADBC=ad&numpages=10&orig=%2fresearch%2fsearch_the_collection_database.aspx¤tPage=18

References in the diary

1660

Jul: 1, 15
Sep: 16, 23
Oct: 2, 4, 7, 21, 28
Nov: 4
Dec: 4, 30

1661

Mar: 3
Apr: 22, 23
Dec: 29

1664

Sep: 3, 11, 12

1665

Jan: 8, 22

1666

May: 20
Jun: 3
Jul: 15
Aug: 1, 8
Oct: 14, 28
Nov: 30