Loving history all my life, especially British history, Westminster Abbey is always a must when I visit London. Convincing my husband, Jeff to join me took a little work. Not the history buff that I am, I knew I needed to find a tour that would peak Jeff’s interest and supply me with new and interesting facts. We had already taken several food tours with Context Travel, a unique tour company specializing in small group tours led by local experts, so I checked out what they were offering. I was overwhelmed with all the different kinds of tours they offered in London. From a tour of Royal Parks and Palaces: Understanding British Monarchy to London During the War: Churchill and the Blitz. They offered the exact tour I was looking for: Westminster Abbey, Britain Through the Ages.
We met our very knowledgeable guide, Vivienne Haxby, Who is not only a trained Blue Badge Guide but has a degree in English Language and Medieval Literature. After giving us an overview of the over 1000 year history of the Abbey we entered into the immense building. Vivienne spent three hours explaining to us all the history and historical figures buried within the walls. From powerful royal figures of King (Saint) Edward the Confessor, Mary Queen of Scots and Queen Elizabeth l, to important Scientist like Sir Isaac Newton and Charles Darwin, World famous authors and Poets like: Geoffrey Chaucer, William Shakespeare, Charles Dickens, and T. S. Eliot are either buried or memorialized here. These names are only a sampling of the over 600 memorials and an estimated 30,000 graves in the church. After three hours our minds were swimming with information, so much I did not know before. Even Jeff found the tour fascinating and left him wanting to know more.
Big thanks to Vivienne and Context Travel for a terrific tour. Check out our blogs from other Context Travel Tours we took: London Market Tour, Edinburgh Food Tour, Vancouver, BC Food Tour
Picture Gallery, only outside the Abbey. No pictures allowed inside.
Westminster Abbey
Our tour group and guide
Jeff and Donna
The Grounds
The Cloisters
The Cloisters
London
London
London