Photos: Acabashi, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 ell brown, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0 Colin, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo credits
Photos: Acabashi, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 ell brown, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0 Colin, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Westminster Abbey's exterior and the coronation route
Your local guide
Tom Ashworth
View profile
Highlights
- Towers added centuries after the church
- A processional route traced on foot
- A single ceremonial setting explained
- State occasions from a civil servant's view
- Public streets with centuries of ceremony
About this tour
This session covers Westminster Abbey's exterior and the ceremonial route used for coronations and state occasions, told by a former civil servant who worked in the surrounding streets for two decades. It covers the west towers' later addition, the processional route across the square and how the wider area functions as a single ceremonial setting. It stays entirely on public streets and squares.
We start at the west front with the towers' history, then trace the processional route across the square. Questions about specific ceremonies and how the area is managed on state occasions come up steadily. I finish at Parliament Square with a note on how the space is used differently on ordinary days.
It suits history enthusiasts interested in ceremony and state occasions specifically. It also suits anyone who has visited the abbey's interior separately and wants the wider context around it.
Included
- Live video walk with a local guide
- Questions to your guide all the way
- A short list of places to visit later
Not included
- Internet connection
- Travel to the city
Itinerary
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Welcome and sound check 6 min
The guide joins the video call, checks the picture and sound with you, and gives you a quick sense of London before heading out.
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West front 17 min
The camera holds on the abbey's twin west towers, and I explain how the current towers were actually added centuries after the mediaeval church beneath them was completed.
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Processional route 17 min
Walking the square outside, I trace the route coronation processions have followed for centuries, pointing out where crowds traditionally gather to watch.
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Parliament Square edge 17 min
The route ends at the edge of Parliament Square, and I explain how the abbey, the Houses of Parliament and the surrounding statues form a single planned setting for state occasions.
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Your questions 11 min
Time to ask anything about London: prices, safety, food, or whatever you are curious about.
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A short list to keep 5 min
Before you go, the guide sums up with a few things worth remembering: a dish to try: Fish and chips and Soho, worth a slower look.
Good to know
- A stable wifi or mobile connection makes the picture smoother than a shaky one.
- Any phone, tablet or laptop with a camera works. You watch, the guide does the walking.
- Times are shown in London time, so check the time where you are before you book.
- The session is not recorded, and recording it yourself is not allowed. Feel free to take your own notes.
- Ask questions any time, out loud or in the chat. The guide will pause to answer.
- Sessions run in small groups, up to 9 people, so there is room for everyone to ask something.
Questions about this tour
What will the session cover?
The guide walks through London, showing you West front and Processional route live on camera, plus whatever else you would like to see.
What happens if my connection drops?
Rejoin with the same link within a few minutes and the guide will catch you up on anything you missed.
Can I ask the guide questions during the session, or is it a fixed script?
Anything, any time. Sessions leave room for your own questions throughout, not just at the end.
Do I need to know the history already?
No background needed. The guide explains everything as it comes up.
How it works
- You get one join link after booking.
- Join from any device: phone, tablet or laptop.
- We connect on a video call outside the abbey, following the route processions have historically taken across the square.
Times shown in London time (GMT)
Cancellation
Flexible
- Cancel up to 24 hours before the start: full refund.
- Cancel less than 24 hours before the start, or no-show: no refund.
- If the guide cancels or the date does not reach its minimum group: full refund.
- Cancel in My Account → Bookings; the refund is calculated from the start time in the tour's local time.
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Next: Mon 26 Oct · 9 seats left From 27,00 €
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