Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
In his (reputed) 152 years, he served 10 sovereigns and was a contemporary of Columbus,
Henry VIII, Elizabeth I, Shakespeare, and Galileo.
• Exit the church (temporarily) at the south door, which leads to the...
Cloisters and Abbey Museum
The buildings that adjoin the church housed the monks. (The church is known as the “ab-
bey” because it was the headquarters of the Benedictine Order until Henry VIII kicked
them out in 1540.) Cloistered courtyards gave them a place to meditate on God's creations.
The
Chapter House
is where the monks had daily meetings. It features fine architec-
ture and stained glass, some faded but well-described medieval paintings and floor tiles,
and—in the corridor—Britain's oldest door. A few steps farther down the hall is the
Pyx
Chamber.
This old, thick-walled room once safeguarded the coins used to set the silver
standard of the realm (a pyx is a small box that held gold and silver coins).
The small
Abbey Museum,
formerly the monks' lounge, is worth a peek for its fas-
cinating and well-described exhibits. Look into the impressively realistic eyes of Elizabeth
I, Charles II, Admiral Nelson, and a dozen others, part of a compelling series of wax-and-
wood statues that, for three centuries, graced coffins during funeral processions. Also see
exhibits on royal coronations, funerals, Abbey history, a close-up look at medieval stained
glass, and replicas of the crown jewels used for coronation practice. The once-exquisite,
