Westminster Abbey guide

More than 100 literary greats are honoured in Poet’s Corner. Some are buried here, including Chaucer and Dickens. Others, such as Byron and the Brontës, have a handsome memorial stone. Among the familiar names, you’ll find a few unknowns and oddities – such as Thomas Parr, who died in 1635 at the ripe old age of 152.

Hung with heraldic banners, this exquisite, fan-vaulted chapel’s a mediaeval masterpiece. Ninety-six statues of saints survey its royal tombs, including Henry VII’s impressive, lion-guarded vault. Look out, too, for Elizabeth I’s marble effigy, still clutching an orb and sceptre and wearing a golden crown.  

Perched below the abbey’s vaulted roof, this arched attic’s now a museum – opened in 2018, and well worth the £5 entry fee. Take in the bird’s-eye views over the nave, then browse the intriguing exhibits, from Kate and William’s hand-illustrated wedding certificate to a 300-year-old stuffed parrot.

It’s not the most obvious family attraction, but kids often warm to the abbey, with its thrillingly spooky statues and endless nooks and crannies to explore. There’s an illustrated family trail to keep them entertained, along with arts-and-crafts sessions during school holidays. Kids eat free with paying adults in the on-site café, where staff also dispense colouring sheets and pens.