May brings news of exciting events and activities as we look forward to summer. From…
November at Westminster Abbey
Each November we remember and reflect on Armistice Day. This year, as with every other year, this will be marked with the Field of Remembrance commemoration on the North Green and a special service on Remembrance Sunday.
November also sees us making preparation for the approach of Advent, the celebration of Christmas throughout December.
In November, please join us for Westminster Abbey Institute’s 2023 autumn programme, Dignity and Public Service and attend our Family Day.
Read on to find out more about what’s happening at the Abbey this month – we’re looking forward to welcoming you!
Guided tour: Have your say
Location: The Abbey
Date: 16th October – 1st December
Time: 11:00am – 12:00pm
Tickets: £11.55
Join us in conversation, discovery and introspection as we explore memorials dedicated to those who worked towards dignity for all.
Have Your Say welcomes visitors to explore the Abbey’s memorials to all those who have fought for dignity. Take an active role as we walk through the Abbey and embark on an immersive journey into global history.
We will challenge the roles within these tales while reflecting on their enduring impact. Join us in decoding the tales etched in stone, honouring champions of dignity, freedom, and equality.
The Have Your Say tour runs from Monday 16th October – Friday 1st December from 11:00am to 12:00pm (Monday – Friday only).
Visiting the Abbey
Tickets for this tour do not include general admission to Westminster Abbey or the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Galleries.
If you would like to visit the Abbey before or after your tour, please show your ticket at the entrance to the Abbey for discounted entry (£15 per adult).
FIND OUT MORE AND BOOK YOUR TICKETS HERE
Sermon Series: Noble Army of Martyrs
Location: The Abbey
Date: 10th September – 17th December
Time: 3:00pm
Tickets: Free
Above the Abbey’s Great West Door stand ten statues to 20th-century Christian martyrs.
This autumn, to mark the 25th anniversary of their installation, a sermon series, ‘The Noble Army of Martyrs’, will focus on the lives of those depicted, their ongoing resonance, and legacy for the Church.
These sermons will be preached during Choral Evensong in the Abbey at 3:00pm on Sundays throughout the autumn. No booking is required.
About the Modern Martyrs
The ten martyrs whose statues stand above the Abbey’s Great West Door are drawn from every continent and many Christian denominations and represent all who have been oppressed or persecuted for their faith.
Among them are victims of Nazism, communism, and religious and racial prejudice in the 20th century. Their statues were unveiled on 9th July 1998 in the presence of the late HM Queen Elizabeth II and HRH The Duke of Edinburgh.
Date: Thursday, 2nd November
Time: 12:45pm – 2:00pm
Location: Cheyneygates
Price: Free (booking required)
Westminster Abbey Institute brings together a panel of speakers for a lunchtime symposium on Dignity and Hostility.
Speakers: Archbishop Bashar Warda of Erbil and Tim Livesey, Chief Executive, Embrace the Middle East
Chair: The Reverend Canon Dr James Hawkey, Canon Theologian, Westminster Abbey
About the speakers
Archbishop Bashar Warda
Archbishop Bashar Warda is Archbishop of Erbil. He is well known for his wide-ranging support for Christian refugees in Iraq and for promoting inter-religious dialogue and environmental protection in the region. Ordained a priest in 1993, he joined the Redemptorist order of Flanders in Belgium two years later. After
receiving his MA at the Catholic University of Louvain in 1999 he returned to Iraq. In 2009 the Synod of Bishops of the Chaldean Catholic Church elected him for service as a bishop. Bishop Warda was consecrated in July 2010.
Tim Livesey
Tim Livesey is Chief Executive of Embrace the Middle East, a medium-sized UK charity which works with 50 civil society and church affiliated partners helping to sustain Christian social witness in Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, Israel and Iraq, including the Chaldean diocese in Erbil. Embrace’s partners seek to transform the lives and livelihoods of marginalised and excluded communities and people. Previously Tim worked in politics, government – predominantly the Foreign Office and also Downing St – and as an adviser to both the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster.
Ticketing information
Places are free but booking is essential. Priority will be given to public servants. To book please email institute@westminster-abbey.org with the following information:
- The name(s) of the event(s) you wish to book for
- Your full name
- Your job title
- Your employer
- Your telephone number
We will not share your personal details with anyone.
Date: 6th November – 17th November
Time: 10:30am – 3:30pm
Location: St Margaret’s Church
Price: Free (no booking required)
Join us to explore lesser-known stories of servicemen and women from around the Commonwealth in this free exhibition.
Curated from interviews with the men and women who fought on the side of Britain during the Second World War, this temporary exhibition allows them to tell their stories in their own words.
You will be able to listen to these stories by accessing videos on your smartphone via a QR code, so please bring your own headphones with you.
Ticketing information and access
No booking is required and the exhibition is free.
The exhibition is open inline with the opening times of St Margaret’s Church. Please check our opening times before you visit.
The Field of Remembrance
Location: North Green
Date: Thursday 9th – Sunday 19th November
Time: 9:00am – 6:00pm
Tickets: Free (no booking required)
A field of scarlet poppies will blanket the Abbey’s grounds this November to remember loved ones lost serving in the Armed Forces.
The Field of Remembrance has been taking place since November 1928 when The Poppy Factory took a group of disabled veterans, a tray of poppies and a collecting tin to the grounds of St. Margaret’s Church at the Abbey. Only a handful of poppies were planted around a single cross, but it began a tradition that has grown over the decades and now tens of thousands of poppies on wooden crosses and tributes are planted every year.
Entry times
The Field of Remembrance will be officially opened on the morning of Thursday 9th November, and you are welcome to visit afterwards at the following times:
- Thursday 9th November 1.00pm – 6.00pm, entry via the North Green
- Friday 10th November – Sunday 19th November 9.00am- 6.00pm, entry via the North Green
Pay your own tribute
You can plant your own memorial tribute in the Field to remember someone special, if you wish. Tributes are available from a stall on site with proceeds going to the Royal British Legion.
Remembrance Sunday Service
Date: Sunday 12th November
Time: 10:30 – 11:30
Location: The Abbey
Seats are available on a first-come first-served basis, tickets are not required.
Family Day: Living Memory
Location: The Abbey
Date: Saturday, 18th November
Time: 10:00am – 2:00pm
Tickets: Included in the price of admission
Step down memory lane with your family and take a closer look at the Abbey monuments whilst creating your own legacy.
Carve a creative path through the Abbey and dive into our collection of props, wigs and costumes and unleash your imagination as you create your own magnificent family memories.
Take inspiration from the hundreds of Abbey statues and memorials. Leave no stone unturned as you pick up posing and posture pointers.
Nothing is set in stone when you are invited to unleash your imagination – consider what legacy you and your family might leave for future generations and how to bring it to life in this special place of memory.
No need to be grave, it’s all a fun way of melting stone hearts, and etching cherished memories together.
Age suitability
Activities are suitable for children aged 3+ and younger children are welcome. All children must be accompanied by an adult throughout their time at the Abbey.
Toilets and baby changing facilities are available in the Cloisters
Dialogue: Dignity and Imprisonment
Location: Lady Chapel
Date: Tuesday, 21st November
Time: 6:30pm – 7:45pm
Tickets: Free (booking required)
Join our speakers for a dialogue on Dignity and Imprisonment.
Speakers: Lord Hastings of Scarisbrick CBE, Professor of Leadership, Utah State University and a guest speaker from His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service.
About the speakers
Lord Hastings of Scarisbrick CBE
Lord Hastings of Scarisbrick CBE is an Independent Peer in the House of Lords. He is Chairman of SOAS, University of London and Professor of Leadership at the Stephen L. Covey Institute at the Huntsman Business School, University of Utah, USA. He was previously Head of Public Affairs at the BBC and Global Head of Citizenship for KPMG. He was the founder and Chair of Crime Concern from 1988 to 2009, and later founded Catch22 where he remains Vice President. He is a passionate advocate for the SDG’s – the 17 Sustainable Development Goals the world must reach by 2030 to give dignity to all.
Guest speaker from the Prison and Probation Service
In conversation with Lord Hastings is a guest speaker who is a passionate advocate for the voice of lived experience in criminal justice reform. She has over 15 years’ experience leading prison and probation initiatives in the charity sector with particular expertise in prisoner rehabilitation and leadership. She is currently Senior Policy Advisor at His Majesty’s Prisons and Probation Service (HMPPS), where she shapes Prisoner Education policy with a focus on personal impact and growth.
Ticketing information
Places are free but booking is essential. Priority will be given to public servants.
To book please email institute@westminster-abbey.org with the following information:
- The name(s) of the event(s) you wish to book for
- Your full name
- Your job title
- Your employer
- Your telephone number
We will not share your personal details with anyone.
Workshop: Dignity and Trauma
Location: Cheyneygates
Date: Wednesday, 22nd November
Time: 6:30pm – 8:30pm
Tickets: Free (booking required)
An interactive workshop hosted by the Westminster Abbey Institute.
Speakers: Tammy Banks, Founder and Director, Taye Training and Noel Moran, Founder, Noela Yoga Wellness and Training
About the speakers
Tammy Banks
Tammy Banks is an expert speaker and facilitator. After graduating in Psychology, Tammy worked in Criminal Justice and Social Care statutory and charitable services for 19 years. In 2016 she co-founded Taye Training and Consultancy to enable frontline organisations to provide quality, values-led services to vulnerable people. Tammy developed the methodology Training 4 Influence, is author of Transform Your Training, and recently launched the National Facilitator Awards. She was previously CEO of re:shape, a charity working to reduce the risk of sexual harm in the community. From 2017 to 2023 she was a Lay Member on the Parliamentary Committee for Standards.
Noel Moran
Noel Moran is founder of Noela Yoga Wellness and Training. He is an advocate for positive change and believes everyone has the capability to unlock their highest potential. His journey comes from an extensive lived experience in criminal justice. A yoga teacher and specialist trainer, Noel shares his experience and knowledge through training frontline professionals and working with people experiencing multiple disadvantage. He is forward thinking, with the attitude that personal growth can be found in every individual and within every environment.
Ticketing information
Places are free but booking is essential. Priority will be given to public servants.
To book please email institute@westminster-abbey.org with the following information:
- The name(s) of the event(s) you wish to book for
- Your full name
- Your job title
- Your employer
- Your telephone number
We will not share your personal details with anyone.
One People Oration: Dignity and Poverty
Location: The Abbey
Date: Tuesday, 28th November
Time: 6:30pm – 7:45pm
Tickets: Free (booking required)
Dame Clare Moriarty, Chief Executive of Citizens Advice, gives this year’s One
People Oration.
About the speaker
This year’s oration is given by Dame Clare Moriarty. Dame Clare is Chief Executive of Citizens Advice, leading the national charity and network of local Citizens Advice charities across England & Wales. She was previously a civil servant for nearly 35 years, latterly as Permanent Secretary of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs from 2015 to 2019, and of the Department for Exiting the EU until its closure in January 2020. Her early career was spent mainly in the Department of Health and the NHS, with senior roles in the Ministry of Justice and the Department for Transport.
Ticketing information
Places are free but booking is essential. Priority will be given to public servants. To book please email institute@westminster-abbey.org with the following information:
- The name(s) of the event(s) you wish to book for
- Your full name
- Your job title
- Your employer
- Your telephone number
We will not share your personal details with anyone.
About the One People Oration
The One People Oration is a lecture given each year at Westminster Abbey. The intention of the series is to make people ‘think not only of all Christian people but of all mankind’
.The orations commenced in 1966, the 900th anniversary year of the consecration and dedication of Edward the Confessor’s original church. The phrase ‘One People’ was coined by Edward Carpenter (then Archdeacon, later Dean of Westminster) in 1965-1966.
DID YOU KNOW…?
George Graham, clock and instrument maker, was a son of George Graham (d.1679) and his wife Isobel. He was probably born in 1673 near Carlisle. George was apprenticed as a clockmaker in London and later joined Thomas Tompion’s workshop. He married Tompion’s niece Elizabeth on 25th September 1704 but there were no children. They inherited Thomas’ business in 1713 and George continued to make precision clocks and watches. He also made an important contribution to astronomy, supplying the most accurate instruments in Europe, and he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society. He died on 16th November 1751 and was buried in Tompion’s grave in the nave. This was one of the few original gravestones retained when the nave was re-paved in 1835. The inscription has been re-cut and reads:
Here lies the body of Mr Tho. Tompion who departed this life the 20th of November 1713 in the 75th year of his age. Also the body of George Graham of London watchmaker and F.R.S. whose curious inventions do honour to ye British genius whose accurate performances are ye standard of mechanic skill. He died ye XVI of November MDCCLI in the LXXVIII year of his age.
READ MORE ABOUT THE ABBEY’S HISTORY HERE
SHOP
This ornately decorated bauble will add a touch of class to any Christmas tree! It has a clasp on the bauble for you to open up and add any delicious treats to as a unique gift this Christmas!
FREE SUNDAY ORGAN RECITALS
Sundays throughout the year
Held on Sundays at 5.00pm, these popular 30-minute recitals are given by visiting and the Abbey’s own organists and feature a wide range of music to suit all tastes.
Admission is free, tickets are not required.
DAILY SERVICES
Westminster Abbey has been a place of worship since the tenth century and we still hold services every day.
Everyone is welcome to worship with us; services are free of charge and most do not require a ticket.
BECOME A MEMBER AND SUPPORT WESTMINSTER ABBEY
It costs over £14 million a year to maintain the Abbey, and we do not receive any funding from the Church, the Crown, or the Government. The drastic reduction to our income caused by the Covid pandemic is putting our priceless heritage at risk.
You can support the work of the Abbey, and preserve over 1,000 years of history, by becoming a member of the Abbey Association. From just £40, membership benefits include free entry to the Abbey and Galleries, exclusive member events and tours and discounts in our shops and the Cellarium Café and Terrace.
FIND OUT MORE AND BECOME A MEMBER TODAY
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