I read Tintin and the Secret of the Unicorn (Part 1) and Red Rackham’s Treasure (above Part 2) when I was in standard three. Since, then I have read and re-read each of the above twenty books, so many times that I have lost count. What Tintin means to me and how much of an influence he is today in my life, is a matter of another discussion altogether. But, what I caught onto from these lines was the Westminster Abbey . I was young, but I wanted to see the world. And today, when I finally got the chance to see Westminster Abbey , guess who was in my backpack :Tintin and his friends esp. Captain Haddock. 😛 .
Horse Guards Parade connects Trafalgar Square to Parliament and WestMinster Abbey. The walls of this church has British royal history sealed within it. From marriages to funerals to christenings every occasion has been marked here except Lady Diana’s Marriage which took place in St Paul’s Cathedral Church. The first look of WestMinster abbey was a huge church building and I was unsure of how to get a good shot. Finally I managed something.
The church was founded as early as 960 AD. Since, then it has stood the test of time, the wars, the revolutions, the progress in society and developments in science and technology. With each passing age, it has only strengthened its foothold as a sentinel of British History. Deemed as the UNESCO World Heritage Site, The Westminster Abbey is protected from interior photography by preventing any images to be clicked by the visitors.
This was one fact that I was not familiar with. In fact, no photography coupled with entry prices, made me take a decision of not entering the church itself. But, I do have some photographs of the exterior architecture of this beautiful church.
These are some photos taken by tourist
While reading up on the church, I discovered that the official website of the church does provide downloadable images that can be put to personal use. Thus, here are some images of the interiors of the church courtesy © Dean and Chapter of Westminster.
Some Additional Information:
Address: 20 Deans Yd, London SW1P 3PA
Opening times: Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri : 9:30 am- 3:30 pm
Wed: 9:30 am – 6 pm ; Sat: 9:30 am -1:30 pm
SUNDAYS CLOSED
Entry Fees: There are different entry charges depending on whether you are an adult, a child, a student etc. It is best to book tickets online through their official website: http://www.westminster-abbey.org/visit-us/entry-charges
Additional Information: PHOTOGRAPHY NOT ALLOWED INSIDE THE CHURCH.
by Subhadrika Sen 
OMG! This Church looks so beautiful! Love this Gothic architecture. You’ve captured it beautifully in your pictures!
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You really missed out but not going inside. Even the floor tiles are stunning. It is a humbling experience inside the Abbey. Of course, the outside is quite beautiful, too!
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Yes. but for me, students to incur the cost of going in was a bit out of budget. . . Someday later when I earn I will surely go inside. 🙂
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I didn’t know Westminister Abbey was that old! Great details! I don’t always understand why it’s not allowed to take photos inside. In a church i understand that it might be disturbing, but nowadays the cameras are so quiet and no flash needed.
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I am not too sure either but at times the flash can damage the preservation of the museum objects and at times the objects are either so sacred or original that the authorities do not want multiple copies of the orginal floating around as pics. thats my estimate but i am not too sure.
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The cathedral seems very big. I had the same problem with taking a good shot at the Dome in Milan. It was so massive that I could hardly make it to fit it in one picture 🙂
Elena | http://www.inspiredtoexplore.com
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Yes. this problem has compelled me to take out my digital camera to take a panoramic view. On a happier note my three year old neglected camera has started functioning beautifully 😛
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If it’s that intricate outside, imagine how awesome the details would be inside! I do understand their no photos rule. Preserves the sanctity and reverence of the place I guess.
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Yes. and more likely the structure which are sometimes prone of damage due to shock and over crowding to take photographs. Also, there are centotaphs and tombs with preservative materials i think which might be affected with flash photography and stuff like that. so Ya it makes sense.
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It is a very well-written article.
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Thanks 🙂
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