Skip to main content

Westminster Abbey and Coronavirus (COVID-19)

The Abbey remains open for worship and you are welcome to join us at our daily Eucharist service if you are able to travel here safely within current government guidelines.

However, for the time being we are unable to open the Abbey and St Margaret’s Church for general visiting.

Interactive sessions

Our Learning Officers will guide your students through an engaging, interactive session, to learn more about the Abbey as a place where faith lives and history happens. All from the comfort of your classroom.

The coronation of kings and queens has taken place at Westminster Abbey since 1066. What lies at the heart of this ancient ceremony and its rituals? Have coronations always gone to plan? What does it feel like to witness this historic event? Pull up a chair and hear tales of sleepy kings, stealthy picnics and one naughty cat in this behind the scenes guide to the Coronation.

Links: History, British Values.

Suitable for: KS1,2,3

Duration: flexible but typically between 30-60 minutes

Cost: £48 per class for UK schools

Photograph of replica regalia in the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Galleries

Edward the Confessor’s death sparked one of the most momentous episodes in British History; the Norman Conquest. Edward’s reign is seen as the end of Anglo-Saxon rule in England but was it in fact the beginning of Norman rule? Weigh up the evidence for yourself, examine Edward’s shrine and see if you can discover more about the man behind the myth.

Links: History, RE

Suitable for: KS2, 3

Duration: flexible but typically between 30-60 minutes

Cost: £48 per class for UK schools

Manuscript showing illustration of Saint Edward the Confessor

Life at Westminster Abbey changed forever on the 16th January 1540. Find out about the community of monks who lived here until early Tudor times and discover the impact of Henry VIII’s Reformation on this great church using rarely seen objects from our museum.

Links: History

Suitable for: KS2, 3

Duration: flexible but typically between 30-60 minutes

Cost: £48 per class for UK schools

Tudor manuscript

Elizabeth’s reign began and ended at Westminster Abbey where she was crowned and buried. Amidst the pomp and ceremony of her coronation tensions ran high. Some watching would prove disloyal whilst others would stand by her throughout her long reign. How did Elizabeth wield her power, patronage and propaganda? Find out through an examination of the objects, monuments and portraiture in our collection. 

Links: History

Suitable for: KS4

Duration: flexible but typically between 30-60 minutes

Cost: £48 per class for UK schools

Portrait of Queen Elizabeth I

Visiting a church can be overwhelming - there is so much to look at, listen to and try to understand. What are the key Christian beliefs and how are they represented in churches? Put your detective skills to the test and de-code mystery objects from Westminster Abbey to learn about Christian belief and worship.

Links: RE

Suitable for: KS1, 2

Duration: flexible but typically between 30-60 minutes

Cost: £48 per class for UK schools

Image of Last Supper on the High Altar in Westminster Abbey

Twice a term we offer the opportunity to find out more about key Christian beliefs and practices by joining a live event with one of our team of priests. Submit your questions in advance and then tune in to watch the live event or watch the recording. Contact us to find out the next available dates.

Links: GCSE RE

Suitable for: Upper KS3, KS4

Duration: 30-60 minutes

Cost: £48

Photograph of candles being lit in Westminster Abbey

Costumed video conferences

Portrayed by a skilled storyteller, meet characters from Westminster Abbey’s past. Your students will be able to travel back in time and explore key elements of 1,000 years of British history from the people who were there.

2020 marks the 100th anniversary of one creation of the Grave of the Unknown Warrior. This grave holds the body of an ordinary soldier from the First World War; a soldier whose story is shrouded in mystery. Was he a conscript? A volunteer? How did he die? What of his family back home? And how did he come to be at the Abbey, buried amongst the kings? 

One man who can shed light on this is Padre Railton, the First World War priest who was struck by the idea of bringing a fallen soldier to be buried at the Abbey. Meet him as he talks about his experience in World War I, and how his idea came into reality.

Links: History, RE

Suitable for: KS2,3

Duration: flexible but typically 60 minutes

Cost: £48 per class for UK schools

Photograph of the Grave of the Unknown Warrior (close up) in the nave of Westminster Abbey

For much of its 1,000-year history, Westminster Abbey has been a place of pilgrimage. As part of the Benedictine tradition of hospitality, the Abbey’s monks welcomed pilgrims, many of whom had travelled hundreds of miles to worship at the Shrine of St Edward.

Make your own pilgrimage to Westminster Abbey, to meet Brother Ralph, one of those monks. With his guidance your pupils will explore medieval life and discover why pilgrimage is so important to so many people.

Links: History, RE

Suitable for: KS2,3

Duration: flexible but typically 60 minutes

Cost: £48 per class for UK schools

Illustration of Benedictine monks within Westminster Abbey

It is 1st January 1066 and King Edward the Confessor lies upon his deathbed. Harold Godwinson, perhaps the most powerful man in the kingdom, ponders the fate of Anglo-Saxon England as no one knows who will next take the throne.

But one thing is certain; there is a long list of claimants. Can your pupils help Harold choose the next ruler of England? And could their choice signal the end of an era – the time of the Anglo-Saxons?

Links: History, RE

Suitable for: KS2,3

Duration: flexible but typically 60 minutes

Cost: £48 per class for UK schools

Manuscript illuminated letter of King Harold

Choose from:

Anne Boleyn – A Queen in Danger

Meet the woman who promised Henry VIII a son and discover what happened when she failed. Anne tells her story and speaks of the religious changes that Henry made in order to marry her.

Edith of Wessex – 1066: The End of the Anglo Saxons

Meet the last Anglo-Saxon Queen of England. Edith tells of her marriage to King Edward the Confessor, and why he was made a saint. Discover the power struggles which led to the end of the Anglo-Saxons and the rise of the Normans.

Florence Nightingale – Victorian Life & Medicine

Meet the ‘Lady with the Lamp’ who has a chapel named after her at Westminster Abbey. Listen how she travelled to tend to wounded soldiers during the Crimean war and discover the changes she made to improve conditions saving the lives of many soldiers.

 

Link: History, RE

Suitable for: KS1 and KS2

Duration: up to 90 minutes

Cost: £48 per class for UK schools

Photograph of learning officer as Anne Boleyn, as part of National Story-telling Week activities for primary pupils

Guided virtual tours

A selection of our themed tours are available – virtually! Select the theme from our Primary or Secondary programme and we can guide your class round using our virtual tour.

Our KS1-2 virtual guided tours bring the Abbey straight to your classroom. With stories and humour, to capture their imagination, our Learning Officers guide you round the Abbey. A selection of our themed tours are available – virtually! See the unique sights such as the Coronation Chair and the Grave of the Unknown Warrior, and also learn about Christian beliefs and key features of a church in the place where faith lives and history happens.

Available tours: 

  • Abbey Highlights
  • Christian Life and Worship
  • The Tudors

Suitable for: KS1, 2

Duration: Flexible but typically 60 minutes

Cost: £48 per class for UK schools

Photograph of the nave including the Grave of the Unknown Warrior, which will be visited during guided virtual tours for primary

Our range of KS3, GCSE and A-Level virtual guided tours led by our expert Learning Officers will complement and enrich your teaching. A selection of our themed tours are available – virtually! See the unique sights such as the Coronation Chair and the Grave of the Unknown Warrior, and also learn about Christian beliefs and key features of a church in the place where faith lives and history happens.

Available tours: 

  • Abbey Highlights
  • Christian Life and Worship

Suitable for: KS3, 4 and 5

Duration: Flexible but typically 60 minutes

Cost: £48 per class for UK schools

Photograph of High Altar and Cosmati Pavement, which can be viewed in many of the Guided virtual tours for secondary students

I’ve worked here for over thirty years and have seen many of the major services - it’s strange to realise that you are in a small way part of history.

Pamela - Rector's Secretary

Twitter logo Tweet this