Westminster Abbey - Pt 7 Poets, Parliament and a Church for the People
I get the feeling that my previous post had too much information for some people, and so for this final chapter about Westminster Abbey I’ve cut down on the claptrap and increased the number of pictures. I hope this meets with everyone’s approval.
On leaving Henry VII’s Lady Chapel, head left down the South Ambulatory (which I covered in Part 5) towards the South Transept and Poets Corner. It’s one of the most popular places to visit in the abbey and the numbers are swelled by those who are looking to take the weight off their feet, especially as this is the first place seats are provided since leaving the nave.
There are over a hundred poets and authors buried or commemorated here and the size of the monument doesn’t always reflect on how famous they are, but none of the memorials are as large as those in the Statesmen’s Aisle in the North Transept opposite. It got me wondering though as to who decides whether a person warrants a burial or memorial in the abbey at all, and the answer is quite simple – the Dean. Incidentally, it’s rare for a recently deceased poet to be included in Poets’ Corner, as like anyone else, they can be flavour of the month one minute and the devil reincarnated the next.
The first poet to be buried here was Geoffrey Chaucer in 1400, not because he was the author of the Canterbury Tales, but because he was Clerk of the King’s Works in the Palace of Westminster across the road. His burial place was initially marked by a plain slab, and it wasn’t until 1556 that the present marble monument was erected in his memory.
200 years after Chaucer’s death, Edmund Spenser, poet of The Faerie Queene (a poem dedicated to Elizabeth I), was granted his wish to be buried near Chaucer. The impressive ceremony was attended by many of his literary contemporaries, which may well have included William Shakespeare, and it was from this time onwards that the South Transept became a place where poets wanted to be buried. William Shakespeare, as most people are aware, is buried in Stratford-upon-Avon, but Poets Corner wouldn’t be the same without some reference to the Bard himself, and sure enough a memorial to him looks down onto the gravestones below of those who belong to the British Literary Hall of Fame.
This place of pilgrimage for lovers of literature can be a bit bewildering to start with. Those of you who have been following me around the abbey will already know that many of the burial locations of famous people are marked by grave stones in the floor, and the memorials, monuments and statues are often erected for those that aren’t buried here, and it’s not that much different in Poets’ Corner. For example, William Wordsworth who isn’t buried here has a statue, and Alfred Lord Tennyson who is, has a relatively simple stone marking his grave.
To add to the confusion, not all those who are buried here are poets either: There are also authors, playwrights, writers of music and even actors. Below is a selection of people who have found their final resting place in Poets’ Corner.
We’re now coming towards the end of the self-guided tour, but before leaving the South Transept you may want to visit the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Galleries which I haven’t seen yet, not because there’s an extra £5 charge, but because I haven’t had the time. For anyone interested, you can expect to see some of the abbey’s treasures in a lofty space that has never been open to the public before. I believe you need to purchase a timed-ticket and photography is not permitted, but there are apparently some great views of the church below, and for those with reduced mobility there is a lift that will avoid having to use the stairs.
The route of the self-guided tour continues from the South Transept into the Cloisters, an area where the monks would have spent a good deal of their time.
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- The Cloisters
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- View of the Abbey from the Cloisters
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- The South Aisle of the Nave from the Cloisters
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- The Houses of Parliament as seen from the Cloisters
The East Cloister dates from the middle of the 13th century, and just over half way down on the left hand side is a vestibule that leads to the Chapter House where the monks met with the abbot to say prayers and discuss the business of the day.
I don’t know if any of you have heard of Magnum Concilium, but it was a term used for the council of church leaders and barons that met with the king. Its origins go back to Anglo-Saxon times and lasted until the time of Henry III, which by then had become known as the King’s Great Council. It was convened on certain occasions to discuss various matters including where taxpayers’ money was spent, and as we know, it wasn’t always spent where it should have been. Nothing new there then.
In 1215, King John was forced to concede to the Barons wishes and sign the Magna Carta, and it was his son Henry III who changed the way the council was run. The Chapter House was built between 1246 and 1255 as part of Henry III’s re-building programme, and it was here in 1257 that the King’s Great Council assembled under the name of ‘Parliament’ after the French word Parlement meaning parley or conversation.
The Chapter House is one of the largest in the country, and the octagonal roof is supported by a central pillar and fan-vaulted ceiling. Some eighty monks could be catered for on its tiered seating around the perimeter and there are still some medieval wall paintings that can be clearly seen.
Medieval paintings, whether they be on a wall or canvas, have always been a topic of discussion for me. Many of these paintings have been restored over the years, so when does a painting stop becoming original is my question.
The tiled floor is definitely original, and according to the abbey guide book, it’s one of the finest medieval tile pavements in England: I’ve seen a few over the years and it would be difficult to disagree. The original windows however have failed to survive the centuries, which is no great surprise really, and they were re-installed during Victorian times, only to be blown out during the Second World War, and replaced again.
When leaving the Chapter House look for the ‘Oldest Door in Britain’ in the vestibule. A detailed study of the door in 2005 shows that it was constructed during the time of Edward the Confessor, sometime in the 1050s. Since then it has been cut down in size and leads into a narrow room (with no public access) that adjoins the Pyx Chamber.
The Pyx Chamber is one of the oldest surviving parts of the abbey and dates from between 1065 and 1090. It’s actually part of the Undercroft which lies beneath the former monks dormitory, now a part of Westminster School. The chamber was walled off and made into a treasury in the 13th century, and its (Greek) name comes from the wooden boxes in which standard silver and gold pieces were kept while awaiting the Trial of the Pyx. This was a system which measured the nation’s newly minted coinage against these standard coins for purity, weight and dimensions. The trial was conducted on the stone table on the east wall, but today is carried out in Goldsmith’s Hall in the City of London. This isn’t just a ceremonial event, as there is a jury who can convict a Master of the Mint if any discrepancies are found. Isaac Newton was the last one to be punished in 1696 and the present master is the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Jeremy Hunt.
The rest of the Undercroft was used as the abbey’s museum until everything was transferred up to the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Galleries in 2018, so unless you want to visit the gardens or café, then it’s time to follow the exit signs. The route will take you around the rest of the cloisters and back into the south aisle of the nave. There’s nothing much to hold you up while you head towards St George’s Chapel in the corner. This is where the Coronation Chair is kept and a good place to end a tour of the abbey. Protected behind glass, it’s very difficult to photograph properly, and as I’ve already covered the subject in a previous post, I’ll point you in the direction of something else which is worth casting your eyes on before leaving – the oldest contemporary painting of an English king. The painting of Richard II dates from around 1395 and hangs on a pillar next to St George’s Chapel, but it has to be said that restoration work is all too apparent.
If you’ve got any stamina left, there’s just one more thing that I want to bring to your attention: Within the grounds, and under the administration of Westminster Abbey, is St Margaret’s Church. I wouldn’t blame if you’ve had enough of looking at altars and stained-glass windows by now, but St Margaret’s is worth a peek inside and won’t take up much of your time.
No doubt you’re wondering why it was necessary to build another church so close to the fabulous building next door, and it’s all because there were certain areas of the abbey, such as the quire for instance, that were reserved just for the monks; and so the answer was to build a church specifically for the common people. Built between 1482 and 1523, it became the ‘parish church of the House of Commons’ in 1614, and if you look in the front pew on the south side you can still see a space reserved for the Speaker of the House of Commons.
Westminster Abbey may have been the place of coronations and burials for monarchs, but common people have their heroes too. People such as Samuel Pepys and Sir Winston Churchill have been married here and Sir Walter Raleigh lies buried near the High Altar, but I couldn’t get to see where it was exactly because somebody was mucking about with a fuse box. Typical!
All wasn’t lost because at the west end of the church is a marvellous window sponsored by American donors that includes scenes of Raleigh and Elizabeth I. Talking of American sponsors, there’s a board near the west door containing the names of those who donated money towards the restoration of St Margaret’s at the end of the 20th century – including one Francis Albert Sinatra, or Frank Sinatra to you and me.
I could ramble on a bit longer about St Margaret’s, but I’m going to call it a day there and just leave you with a picture of the nave so that you can see what it looks like inside.
We’ve now come to the end of our tour of Westminster Abbey, and hopefully you can see why I’ve broken it down into so many different parts. Having said that, I’ve only really scratched the surface, and of course, there’s no substitute for visiting this iconic British landmark for yourself.
British history and the monarchy is going through a bad time of it at the moment, and although I may be biased, I still believe that the world is a far better place than it might have been if our country had not evolved the way it did. It hasn’t happened overnight and there have been many twists and turns along the way from autocratic rule to public consensus.
People associated with Westminster Abbey come from all walks of life, many of whom have made a profound difference to the world we live in. Scientists like Isaac Newton and Charles Darwin gave us a better understanding of planet earth, authors like Charles Dickens and Thomas Hardy had a wonderful way of showing us what life was like in days gone by, and politicians with vision such as William Wilberforce and Winston Churchill made sure that ordinary people could live in a genuinely free society in the future.
This free society of ours allows people to stand on the Cosmati Pavement and protest against the monarchy and others to desecrate the statue of Sir Winston Churchill outside in Parliament Square, but I don’t think that’s a true reflection of what British people are really like, and judging by the number of foreign visitors that come through the abbey’s doors each day I’m pretty sure that they don’t think so either – they come to see how British history has helped to make a free, democratic and peaceful world for people to live. Let’s make sure that it remains so and not let the minority rule.
To finish up with, I thought I would leave you with some pictures of the abbey I took at Lumiere London a few years ago. I Hope you like them – and all the posts I’ve written about Westminster Abbey too for that matter. Whether you have or not, please let me know that I haven’t written all this stuff just to some artificial intelligence in cyberspace by leaving a comment below. I would really appreciate that.
POSTED – APRIL 2023
Originally posted 2023-04-09 11:50:47.
From the list of famous graves and statues to the lovely old ,medieval wall paintings, absolutely fascinating.
For me, Westminster Abbey has to be the top attraction to see in London – especially if you’re English.
I can understnad that. It looks like you could spend a week there alone .
Playing catch-up as always! I usually leave your posts until I have time to do them justice and they never disappoint. Yet again I’m reminded how long it is since I visited Westminster Abbey. The high price of admission is a bit of a deterrent to repeat visits but after so long, and after reading all your posts, I really feel I should bite the bullet and go one more time! I enjoyed seeing all the memorials from Poets Corner, the stained glass of course, the medieval floor and paintings in the Chapter House and the lovely Lumiere London shots 🙂 And the information about the origins of Parliament dating back to the use of that Chapter House were new to me – thank you for those insights 🙂
Thanks for continuing to follow this set of posts Sarah, and you know that I feel the same about reading posts when it’s a suitable time to do so. Visiting the Abbey isn’t cheap as you say, but like I pointed out a bit earlier on, you can get your ticket stamped so that you can visit three times in a year – should you want to of course.
Samuel Johnson famously wrote that “when a man is tired of London he is tired of life”, but as long as Westminster Abbey is still there, then I for one could never tire of London 🙂
Good tip about visiting three times – I could focus on different areas and take it all in over the course of that year!
It would certainly make sense.
An interesting post to end a great series Malc, apologies for not commenting sooner but I wanted to wait until I knew I had time to read it properly. I like the Shakespeare memorial but my favourites, as in any church, are the stained glass windows, and the building lit up for Lumiere London looks so colourful.
I’m glad that you didn’t miss the final part Eunice, especially as you’ve looked at all the others. I totally agree with you about having the time to read it properly, which I know you always do, and I’m really grateful to you for that. Thank you so much 🙂
Your posts make a great accompaniment to toast and marmalade and a mug of tea Malc – a good start to the day 🙂 🙂
LOL. As long as reading my posts don’t send you back to sleep again 🙂
A great ending to the tour, Malc, and I’ve loved all you’ve shown us about this microcosm of British history. Although I haven’t been there yet and walked where all the great figures from our past are resting or commemorated, I can at least say that I’ve visited Holy Trinity Church in Stratford and stood beside William Shakespeare’s grave, which I found fascinating. And I’m completely with you on all you say on the monarchy and where it’s led us to today.
Superb photos all, and a big thank you for showing us around this stupendous building that once again is about to make it’s mark on the long and rich story of Britain. I hope you enjoy every minute watching the events of 6th May. 🙂
Thank you again Alli. Your knowledge of our history is far greater than mine which is another reason that I value your comments so much. I’m only an amateur in comparison – but an enthusiastic one at that.
As for the coronation, I’ll be glued to it of course. I watched an interesting conversation on TV the other morning where an ex- aide to Prince Charles, as he was then, is supporting the king’s view of the service being more inclusive of other faiths, and in the other corner was a black girl (if I’m still allowed to say that) disagreeing with him. It was an interesting topic of conversation, but perhaps there’s still hope for our nation yet 😊
I also couldn’t help but wonder what Archie will think in years to come if he isn’t allowed to see his grandad crowned king – should that happen, and on his birthday too.
Well my assessment is that you are must be a historian from another life who now is reborn and equally skilled with a camera. Once again, Malc, your photographs are superb. You are compelled to tell the story in a way that all who want to know, will know. Maybe there will be a place for you in that corner of the abbey reserved for those who are inveterate documenters of the written word–and your readers can come visit you there.
On another note when I saw those images of the abbey in psychedelic colors I was taken aback. I was unaware of the festival of lights called Lumiere London – but that explains it. Very unusual but not more notable than yours with natural lighting. Regards to another from one who likes to get the details down on paper. Stewart
Thank you so much for your generous comments Stewart. They really are appreciated even if they’re not entirely deserved. Not all my posts are so intense as my next one will clearly show 🙂
I smiled when I read that you had cut back on the claptrap after seeing how long this post was though still very informative and interesting. There is so much history in the UK; most people could keep returning to these magnificent places and find new titbits to mull over.
Thanks Suzanne for reading, commenting and following. It’s a pleasure to have you on board. I’ve just checked out your website and will be paying it closer inspection shortly. It looks fab.
We thoroughly enjoyed the UK so I am sure to enjoy your posts. Plus, many bloggers I know follow you which is always a plus.
That’s heartening to hear. Thanks.
Fabulous Malc! This is really a masterpiece! Loved the poets corner and the photographs are smashing good!
Thanks again for your support Francesc and I’m really pleased that you enjoyed reading these posts.
It’s always a pleasure Malc, for sure! All the best!
You are more than welcome!
Joanna
You’re done a bang up job, Malc. I thoroughly enjoyed and learned a lot. Happy Easter.
Ah! Thank you Pat. That means a great deal. As it happens, I learned a lot writing it too 🙂
Another outstanding post, dear Malc!
I enjoyed it a lot, especially the descriptions and photos of the Poets’ Corner❣️
Thank you Luisa. I thought you might like that bit of the write-up, even though you’ve no doubt been there ❤
Yes, I have, but you’ve made me re-visit that wonderful place, awakening its memory💝
That’s really good to know 🙂
😘
You probably know the place I’m writing about next as well, and it’s much closer to home for you 🙂
Now you have aroused my curiosity
What will you be talking about? 🤔
It’s a secret for now, but let’s just say that it’s a town in your part of the world – and it’s not Milan 🙂
Can’t wait to find out… 😉❣️
It’ll be a fairly short post, but I’m pretty sure that you’ll know it. You’re free to have a guess if you really can’t wait and I’ll tell you afterwards where it is if you’ve got it wrong. I’ll give you a clue. It’s about 25 miles from Milan and has a lower and upper part to the town 🙂
Bergamo?
You’ve got it in one Luisa 🙂
It has just become our Capital of Culture❣️
Well I never, but deservedly so I would say. After I’ve written the post you can tell me everything I don’t know about the place. We weren’t there very long, but I liked it.
💐💐💐
🙂
Can’t wait to find out…
I would be surprised, Malc, if you were not offered a space, even standing one, at the Westminster Abbey when the time comes, after your masterpiece of the tribute to everyone and everything connected with the place. I did say before that your devotion to make sure nothing is missed or misunderstood by your readers, is touching and
deeply appreciated.
Your seemingly innocent remark about the restoration of the first portrait of the king, reminded me the hilarious and famous story of the woman churchgoer who on seeing the old painting of in the church with a great need of restoration, took upon herself the task despite not having any knowledge how to do it. The result was partly macabre and partly comical, and it become so famous, that the crowds were coming from all over the world to see it and
made the church and the town rich. There is a moral somewhere in the story….
Thank you, Malc, for the wonderful tour and spectacular photographs!
Joanna
Your first sentence made me laugh out loud Joanna. There’s only room for one Ben Jonson in Westminster Abbey you know. I don’t think I’ve heard that story about the churchgoer doing her own restoration, but I can believe it. There has certainly been some horror stories where restoring paintings are concerned. Anyway, I’m glad that you’ve enjoyed this series and your support has been invaluable. Thank you so much.
I think that the story that Joanna is referring to was shown as a news snippet on TV in the US. The picture was truly ghastly beyond mere amateurism.
Thanks for that Pat. Now I know 🙂
I appreciate the concise description of the history and significance of Poets Corner, where over a hundred poets and authors are buried or commemorated. It’s fascinating to learn that the Dean decides who is buried or commemorated in the abbey.
The origin and evolution of the Magna Carta, the King’s Great Council, and the emergence of Parliament is insightful. I enjoyed reading your posts, and I am sure that other readers did too.
Thank you Ritish. Your comments are very much appreciated and I’m really pleased that you’ve enjoyed reading these posts