Page 56 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Europe

54  BRIT AIN AND IRELAND

1 Westminster Abbey

Westminster Abbey has been the burial place of Britain’s
monarchs since the 11th century and the setting for many
coronations and royal weddings, including the marriage of the
Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in 2011. It has an exceptionally
diverse array of architectural styles, ranging from the austere
French Gothic of the nave to the astonishing complexity of . Nave
Henry VII’s chapel. Half national church, half national museum, Built under the direction
of master mason Henry
the abbey is crammed with an extraordinary collection of tombs Yevele, the nave reaches to
and monuments honoring some of Britain’s greatest public a height of 31 m (102 ft).
figures, from politicians to poets.
North/Main
Entrance

The Coronation Chair has
been used at every coronation
since its construction in 1308.

KEY
1 Statesmen’s Aisle contains
monuments to some of the
country’s greatest political leaders.
2 The Sanctuary, built by
Henry III, has been the scene of
38 coronations.
3 The Pyx Chamber is where
the coinage was thoroughly tested
in medieval times.
4 The museum, closed until 2018
for extensive renovation, contains
the abbey’s rich hoard of treasures.
5 The Cloisters, built mainly
in the 13th and 14th centuries,
link the abbey church with the
other buildings.

Coronation
The coronation ceremony is more
than 1,000 years old and since 1066,
with the crowning of William the
Conqueror on Christmas Day,
Westminster Abbey has been its
sumptuous setting. The coronation Flying Buttresses
of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953 was the The massive flying buttresses help
first to be televised. transfer the great weight of the
31 m (102 ft) high nave.
For hotels and restaurants see pp104–6 and pp107–9

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