Memorial of the month
Learn about the lives and legacies of those remembered in the Abbey and discover how people from all walks of life have ended up in the nation's church.
Join a member of staff at 10:30am every Tuesday and Thursday during visitor opening hours for a 10-minute talk about one of the thousands of memorials or graves that can be found around the Abbey. Please be aware this offer can be subject to cancellation at short notice.
These talks are available to those with a ticket to visit Westminster Abbey.
Esther John, a Christian missionary from Pakistan, is one of the ten Modern Martyrs of the 20th century remembered above the Werst Door of Westminster Abbey.
Join a member of the Abbey team in the Nave for a short 10-minute talk that will explore the life and legacy of Esther John as well as the story behind the Modern Martyrs statues. This event is part of the Commonwealth season
Talks will take place at 10:30am every Tuesday and Thursday during visitor opening hours. Look out for signage in the Abbey that will highlight the location of the talk.
The oldest monument in the nave of Westminster Abbey belongs to Jane Stoteville, a woman about whom we know very little. This story is typical of many women buried in the Abbey but we can learn a lot about how burial and remembrance has evolved over the years by exploring these gaps in our knowledge.
Join a member of the Abbey team in the Nave for a short 10-minute talk that will explore how this part of the Abbey came to be a site of burial and memorial.
Talks will take place at 10:30am every Tuesday and Thursday during visitor opening hours, except for 15th and 17th April when we will take a break for Holy Week. Look out for signage in the Abbey that will highlight the location of the talk.
Amidst the Second World War, as London was bombed by the German Airforce, the grounds of Westminster Abbey sustained significant damage. In the 13th century Chapter House, the windows were shattered, and colourful new windows have since been installed that re-use some of the salvaged glass.
Join a member of the Abbey team in the Chapter House for a short 10-minute talk that will explore the impact of the Second World War on Westminster Abbey and consider how it has been remembered inside the Abbey.
Talks will take place at 10:30am every Tuesday and Thursday during visitor opening hours. Look out for signage in the Abbey that will highlight the location of the talk.
In the wake of the First World War, the Mothers’ Union raised money for a gilded altar frontal to be installed in St George’s Chapel, Westminster Abbey, to serve as a “perpetual memorial to the sons and husbands who died”.
Join a member of the Abbey team in the Nave for a short 10-minute talk that will explore Westminster Abbey’s role as a site of national remembrance through the history of this beautiful altar front.
Talks will take place at 10:30am every Tuesday and Thursday during visitor opening hours. Look out for signage in the Abbey that will highlight the location of the talk.
