Westminster: Coronation History, Parks and Museums

For a sense of the area’s boundaries: the southern boundary of the district of Westminster runs roughly along the Thames between Vauxhall Bridge and Waterloo Bridge. This information refers to the district of Westminster.

Coronation sites and political history

Westminster Abbey has been the coronation church since 1066 and is the final resting place of more than 3,000 notable Britons. A tour includes, among other things, the royal tombs, Poets’ Corner, the Lady Chapel and the Nave. The shrine of St Edward the Confessor is not open to the public. The areas included in a tour may change; check the current arrangements before your visit.

At the Palace of Westminster, visitors can explore Westminster Hall, the House of Commons, the House of Lords and the areas between them. This is different from attending debates and committee meetings in the two Houses; access may depend on parliamentary arrangements and security measures. Visitor routes and their availability may also change.

At the Household Cavalry Museum, you can watch soldiers at work through a special glass screen, and see exhibitions, artefacts and interactive displays. The Changing of the King’s Life Guard takes place at Horse Guards Parade on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 11 am. As ceremony schedules may change, it is worth checking the latest times before your visit.

Churches, collections and getting around

Westminster Cathedral combines a striking Byzantine interior with more than 100 different types of marble and mosaics. It is free to enter and open daily; access information may change. Volunteers from the Guild of St John Southworth offer short tours of the main areas, and arrangements for these may also change. To get to the Cathedral, take the Tube to Victoria or St James’s Park; bus routes 3, 11, 24, 26 and 148 also serve it. Check connections with TfL before travelling.

The collections also offer different highlights. Admission to the National Gallery is free, though its admission policy may change. The main entrance is in the Sainsbury Wing, opposite Trafalgar Square at the corner of Pall Mall and Whitcomb Street. Admission to the permanent collection at the Wallace Collection is also free; this arrangement may change too. Apsley House has 83 paintings. They date from Juan de Flandes’ “Last Supper” of 1504 to Anton Raphael Mengs’ “Holy Family” of 1765.

A visit to the State Rooms at Buckingham Palace can be combined with a guided tour of notable areas of the palace garden. Availability and format may change. This means your plans can include a palace visit as well as churches and collections, though not all stops offer the same kind of visit.

Parks, wildlife and walks

Westminster’s parks and open spaces include historic gardens, urban parks and peaceful riverside paths. They offer opportunities to relax, exercise and experience nature amid the bustle of the city. Each has its own character: in Green Park, shady avenues lined with mature trees and broad expanses of grass shape the landscape; in Hyde Park, the Rose Garden’s flowerbeds combine roses and perennials in seasonal displays. Their appearance changes throughout the year.

The lake in St James’s Park provides a habitat for many animals, including more than 40 species of waterfowl. Its reed beds are important protected habitats: they support biodiversity, filter pollutants and oxygenate the water. At the eastern end of the lake lies Duck Island, a nature reserve and protected nesting and refuge area for wildfowl and other birds. Pelicans have lived in the park for more than 350 years; they can often be seen swimming, preening and sunbathing on the lake.

The Memorial Gates in Green Park also tell a story of history. They commemorate the five million people from India, Africa and the Caribbean who served in two world wars. In St James’s Park, The Mall is a ceremonial route honouring Queen Victoria, along which many historic royal processions have taken place. A visit to the park and a chance to explore its history come together here, though the natural and commemorative sites have different themes.

The Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Walk is seven miles long and marked by 90 plaques set into the ground. It passes through St James’s Park, The Green Park, Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens. Visitors can hire a boat on the Serpentine Lake in Hyde Park; the availability of this activity may change. The seasonal Hyde Park Winter Wonderland offers six weeks of entertainment, including ice skating, the Giant Wheel, the Magical Ice Kingdom and circus performances. Attractions and programmes may vary from season to season.

Plan your stay around what matters to you

When choosing a hotel location, you can first consider whether political visits, churches and collections, or time in parks and on walking routes should be your priority. The activities described offer different reasons to explore Westminster; current visitor arrangements, timetables and seasonal offerings can be checked in advance as needed.

Discover more destinations: Mayfair, Westminster, Hammersmith And Fulham, Bromley, Harrow, Enfield, Islington, Richmond Upon Thames.

For the wider travel overview: Greater London.