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Hidden Highlights tour - August

Thursday, 1st August 2024

Explore behind the scenes of the Abbey on a guided tour of some areas not usually open to the public.

Beyond Victory: Drawing Workshop

Wednesday, 18th June 2025

Artist reporter George Butler leads a drawing workshop in St Catherine’s Garden, part of the Abbey which sustained significant damage in the Second World War.

Beyond Victory

Lunchtime Talk: Creating the Commonwealth

Wednesday, 12th February 2025

Join Professor Philip Murphy as he traces the complex origins of the organisation now known as the Commonwealth.

Commonwealth

Lunchtime Talk: Royalty and the British Raj

Wednesday, 12th March 2025

Professor Chandrika Kaul explores the relationship between British Royalty and India during the Raj.

Lunchtime Talk: The People's Victory

Wednesday, 14th May 2025

Join Professor Lucy Noakes as she explores what VE Day was like for those who lived through the Second World War, particularly for those who had experienced loss.

Lunchtime Talk: Building Heaven on Earth

Wednesday, 9th April 2025

Dr Emma J. Wells surveys some of Europe’s best examples of religious Gothic architecture, offering a fascinating insight into both their construction and enduring cultural impact.

Lunchtime Talk: Remembering the Second World War

Wednesday, 11th June 2025

Keith Lowe reflects on how nations around the world have commemorated the Second World War, 80 years on since the end of the conflict.

Lunchtime Talk: Enshrined in Gothic Glory

Wednesday, 10th September 2025

Join us for a captivating lunchtime lecture with renowned Gothic art historian Professor Paul Binski, as part of our monthly Lunchtime Talk series at Westminster Abbey.

Lunchtime Talk: Henry VII, power and propaganda

Wednesday, 12th November 2025

Uncover how Henry VII harnessed power, image, and ceremony to cement the Tudor dynasty in this sharp and engaging Lunchtime Talk.

Lunchtime Talk: Dickens and Christmas

Wednesday, 3rd December 2025

Discover how famed novelist, journalist and social critic Charles Dickens shaped the way we celebrate Christmas.

Lunchtime Talk: Divine Light

Wednesday, 14th January 2026

Author Janet Gough shines a light on how stained-glass windows continue to instruct, inspire and illuminate in this captivating Lunchtime Talk.

Lunchtime Talk: How pilgrimage changed the world

Wednesday, 11th March 2026

Professor Kathryn Hurlock investigates the varied ways that pilgrimages have shaped the history of our world in this captivating talk.

Lectures

Lunchtime Talk: English history through poetry

Wednesday, 15th April 2026

Explore the history of England through its poetry in this lunchtime talk with Professor Catherine Clarke.

Lunchtime Talk: Craftmanship and conservation

Wednesday, 13th May 2026

Discover the rich colours and craftsmanship of Westminster Abbey’s medieval painted interiors in this illustrated talk by the Abbey’s Paintings Conservator.

Lunchtime Talk: Margaret Beaufort - Survivor, Rebel, Conspirator

Wednesday, 10th June 2026

Historian Lauren Johnson explores the extraordinary life of Lady Margaret Beaufort, the driving force behind the Tudor dynasty, in this revealing talk.

Voice and Verse Song Recital: Remembrance

Thursday, 14th November 2024

Enjoy the beautiful sound world of the Abbey and its artists, as the Abbey’s Lay Vicars perform a recital of English Song featuring texts by poets buried or memorialised in Poets’ Corner.

Music Voice and Verse

An Evening with Dan Jones: The Astonishing Henry V

Tuesday, 21st January 2025

Leading Medieval Historian Dan Jones recounts the astonishing rise of England’s famous warrior king Henry V, metres from his final resting place.

A call to words: An evening exploring poetry in wartime

Wednesday, 26th November 2025

How does poetry help us reckon with war? This evocative evening explores the enduring value of war poetry.

Westminster Abbey Institute

An Evening with Helen Castor: The Eagle and the Hart

Thursday, 9th October 2025

Renowned medieval historian Helen Castor explores the fateful relationship between the complex King Richard II and his usurper cousin King Henry IV in this thought-provoking talk with live Q&A.

An Evening with Clare Jackson: James VI and I

Wednesday, 25th March 2026

Leading historian Clare Jackson makes the case for why this Stuart monarch should be considered one of the most interesting and consequential in British history.