Two Churches and a Castle

Having successfully navigated a combination of the Tube and Big Red Bus system yesterday, we decided to use our new-found knowledge and begin our day by independently traveling across London to reach Westminster Abbey before the crowds.  We rode the bus from Olympia to Trafalgar Square and walked to the Abbey without having to do any backtracking!  It is amazing what a good map makes possible!

We arrived to the Abbey before it opened and only had a short line, so we were not crowded as we explored the inside.  Due to  restrictions on photography, I was not able to take pictures inside, which worked out well, because it gave me time to really appreciate what I was seeing.

Westminster Abbey

Little is known about when the earliest parts of the Abbey were first constructed, but records show that the Abbey was the home of a group of monks around 960 AD.  Most of the earliest remaining portions of the Abbey are below ground as part of the foundations.  Most of the visible portions were built under the order of King Henry III between 1245 and 1272 AD.

During the reign of King Henry VIII, the monastic abbey was dissolved with the Reformation.  However, it was re-founded by Queen Elizabeth I under royal control - answering to neither the Church of England or the Roman Catholic Church.  In fact, Queen Elizabeth I is buried in the Abbey in the same chamber as her sister, Queen Mary despite their differences in religious beliefs.  Their combined tombs was meant to bring together their two faiths.

By the late 18th century, it became a place of burial for many people.  There are more than 3000 people buried or commemorated within the walls of the Abbey and there are nearly 600 tombs, monuments, and memorials.  Among them include Mary Queen of Scots, Henry V, Edward the Confessor, Thomas Hardy, and Chaucer.  

The Abbey also hosts happier events including the 2011 wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton and has been the location for the coronation of every monarch of Great Britain since Henry IV in the 14th century.

We left Westminster Abbey and walked through Parliament Square located between the Abbey and the Houses of Parliament.  This park--like area contains a green as well as statues throughout that celebrate men who have worked for justice both in Great Britain and around the world. Among the statues was Winston Churchill, Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, and Abraham Lincoln.

Parliament Square

Our next stop was to St. Paul's Cathedral in London City.  It is the 5th one built on the site since 604 AD when the Romans were still in control of the city.  This cathedral was built after the great fire of London in 1666 burned the previous church to the ground.  It is considered the people's cathedral while Westminster Abbey is considered the royal cathedral.   The cathedral, finished between 1675-1711, contains a double dome top with elaborate details that include glass mosaics throughout the interior rather than stain glass windows.

During World War II, it was heavily bombed by the Germans, but remained standing - many people seeing that as a sign of hope.  One bomb got stuck within the dome, but did not explode!  After World War II, one chapel of the cathedral was rebuilt with funds raised by the people of Great Britain and dedicated to become the American Memorial Chapel to commemorate the 28,000 Americans killed during the war in service of protecting Great Britain.  There is a 500-page roll of honor that is turned one page a day behind the high alter with all of their names listed.  The cathedral is also where Prince Charles and Princess Diana were married in 1981.

This is the best angle that I could get with the tablet of St. Paul's Cathedral.

Out last stop of the day was to the Tower of London  - although famous as a prison where such historical figures as Anne Boleyn were imprisoned and executed, it was originally a Norman stronghold built by William the Conqueror by 1100 AD.  It was built partially using the existing Roman walls from about 200 AD when the city was part of the Roman Empire and known as Londonium.

It was expanded as a royal fortified castle by the reign of Richard the Lionheart in the late 12th century.  During the reign of Edward I (1272-130 AD), it became more a military fortification rather than a residence as well as a place for storing official documents and valuables - from wealth to prisoners.  It is currently the location of the vault holding the Crown Jewels which were one display for public viewing.

Me in front of the entrance to the vault of Crown Jewels.

Guards throughout the Tower Castle included ceremonial guards (like those above).

I asked my travel companions what they learned today that either surprised them or stuck with them as we sat down for a late dinner.  They said that it was amazing how simple some of the 16th century king's tombs were compared to the lesser nobles buried in Westminster Abbey in the 18th century.  Very different styles!  Also, that the Tower of London was not just a single tower, but an actual fortified castle with many buildings within its walls.  Many towers can be found with various names including Beaucamp Tower, Bloody Tower, White Tower, and Cradle Tower.  What was also surprising was that no photographs could be taken of the Crown Jewels!  And finally, we got to sit for a bit in the same spot from which Queen Elizabeth II witnessed the wedding of William and Kate!  (I will let you try to figure out who learned what!)