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Addition information about Westminster Abbey

Posted by (Chicago, IL, USA) on

I had read on the forum about Westminster Abbey membership being a good way to expedite entrance. So I signed up applying by mail. Thanks for the trip!

I am especially interested in the medieval monaster tours. Dates for those aren’t open yet for November and December so I wrote an email to [email protected] to ask if they would be offered then and when tickets would be available. They got back to me within a few hours with very good and detailed info.

In case helpful to others I though I would share what they explained:

That tour will be offered most days those months at 10 am and 1 pm.

November released the end of Sept.

December released the end of Oct.

But likely no such tours between Dec 21 and Jan 2.

And importantly “the Abbey will only be open for a limited time in the afternoon on the 5th of November. And it will only be open for a limited time on the 16th of December, 17th of December. It will be closed all day on the 11th of December. And the Abbey will be closed for sightseeing during the Christmas period from the 23rd until the 25th of December; re-opening on the 26th of December at 10:00 am.”

Many people know about the verger tours but they have others too. That monastery tour, an “unlocked” tour in early morning, special religious event tours, family tours etc. Here is link to that page https://www.westminster-abbey.org/events.

Posted by
13194 posts

Thanks, Laurie Ann. I agree that Westminster Abbey does have some really good tours outside of the verger tours. Back in 2024, i took the Hidden Highlights tour that took us through the lost medieval sacristy used by 13th-century monks that was uncovered in the grounds of the Abbey in 2020, along with the bones of hundreds of buried bodies. It was absolutely amazing. Sadly, they took it off the menu about six months later.

So I would suggest to anyone that if you have the opportunity to take one of these tours, take it when you can. Westminster Abbey has a habit of putting these tours out for a year or so, and then they disappear. Eventually they'll come up with another one, but they do this a lot. I'm not sure why, and I don't know if it's on purpose or if there's a logistical reason for it, but I do suggest signing up for these when you can, because there's a good chance they may never appear again.

Posted by
715 posts

Thank you! I really enjoyed the Verger Tour as well as visiting for 2 Evensongs. I could listen to the boys' choir all day.

Posted by
12458 posts

Westminster Abbey has a habit of putting these tours out for a year or so, and then they disappear. Eventually they'll come up with another one, but they do this a lot. I'm not sure why, and I don't know if it's on purpose or if there's a logistical reason for it, but I do suggest signing up for these when you can, because there's a good chance they may never appear again.

The reason is that there is so much history to relate, it is impossible to tell the whole history in a single tour, so the product is periodically refreshed. It also keeps people interested, in promoting multiple visits over time- especially those who live in the UK.

All the Cathedrals do it, even the ones which have free entry, such as Liverpool, Durham, Worcester, Hereford or Newcastle as examples. Even my own local Cathedral at Carlisle regularly changes it's tours. Anyone who visited Carlisle even just a year or two ago will now have new and different offerings.

At Carlisle it is almost the end of the Angels' View summer tours, where you could climb up into the clerestory to see things at height far closer than normal, last weekend was a rare showing of the Bishop Bell brass, etc.

Posted by
6 posts

The reason is that there is so much history to relate, it is impossible to tell the whole history in a single tour, so the product is periodically refreshed.

That is one reason. However, when I contacted WA about the HH tour appearing and then disappearing this year, they provided the following response (as I posted recently in this thread).
"The Hidden Highlights tours visit areas usually not open to the public. We are only able to offer these tours in the summer months, as some of the areas are used by Westminster School during the rest of the year.
In November and December 2026 (which I asked about), we offer the Tour: Medieval monastery | Westminster Abbey. This tour focuses the Abbey's history as Benedictine monastery for almost 600 years. It also includes a visit to Jerusalem Chamber, which is one of the stops on the Hidden Highlights tours as well..."

Posted by
13194 posts

SoonerSelf, that's interesting and definitely makes sense. I was there in late March when I took the Hidden Highlights tour, but that was also the first time they'd opened it, so maybe they didn't have anything else going on at that time.

That said, the medieval monastery tours sound very interesting, so I would be interested in going on those IF they're still around by next year.

Posted by
28 posts

There is SO much history in Westminster Abbey. Whrn I visited in 2025 I added the Queen's Jubilee Galleries tour, which I found fascinating, with more information about the origin and construction of the Abbey, as well as a display of artifacts, including funeral effigies dating to thr middle ages.

Still hoping to fit in a verger tour someday!

Posted by
113 posts

My friends and I took the Medieval Monastery tour a couple years ago and loved it. If anyone else is considering this tour, I highly recommend it.

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