HELLO everyone, my name is Dillon Pillay, and welcome back to another edition of the Monday Miles. In this series you follow me as I walk the streets, cross the bridges and step into the history of all my personal adventures around the world.

Also read: Monday Miles: Quick trip to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter [Video]

This week, we journey into the heart of London’s grandeur, the Westminster Abbey. Filled with royal tradition, sacred ceremony and centuries of history, the Abbey is more than just a building, but a piece of living history.

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Join Dillon Pillay in this week’s Monday Miles as he takes us on a tour of Westminster Abbey, London. #travel #london #westminsterabbey #mondaymiles

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Facts on the Abbey:

Here are some of the more fascinating facts about this ancient landmark:

• Westminster Abbey has been the location of every coronation of a monarch since 1066, beginning with William the Conqueror. The Coronation Chair, which was first used in 1308, still resides inside the Abbey.
• Royal weddings have also taken place here, including Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip in 1947 and most recently Prince William and Kate Middleton in 2011.
• Nicknamed ‘Britain’s Valhalla,’ the Abbey is the last resting place for around 3300 people, including 17 monarchs, plus Sir Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin and prime ministers like Clement Attlee and William Pitt.
• The site has been dedicated to worship since the 10th century. The present gothic building started construction in 1245 under Henry III and has expanded over the centuries with additions such as the Henry VII Lady Chapel.
• Westminster Abbey commemorates literary legends like Geoffrey Chaucer, William Blake, Rudyard Kipling and T.S. Eliot in its renowned Poets’ Corner.
• Used in every coronation from 1308, the chair also has centuries of graffiti and is now preserved as Britain’s most valued relic.
• The Abbey gained UNESCO World Heritage status in 1987, and as a Grade I listed building, welcomes over one million visitors each year.
• Dominant in Dan Brown’s bestseller The Da Vinci Code, the Abbey’s tourist count soared, though guides later rationalised many of the book’s historical inaccuracies.
• Though often called Westminster Abbey, its former title was the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster.

Stepping inside Westminster Abbey is stepping inside the heartbeat of Britain. Personally, I could have stood and gawked at the architectural beauty for hours. From the stained glass to the intricately decorated statues to the designed corridors, it is no wonder that the Abbey is as famous as it is.

From the resonance of coronations to the whispers of poets, every corner of the Abbey reflects its own piece of history.

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