There’s a chance to explore behind the scenes of Westminster Abbey on a guided tour of some areas not usually open to the public.

Abbey library (c) Westminster Abbey

The 90-minute tours will take in the lost medieval sacristy, recently revealed during one of their biggest ever archaeological projects, and the library, formerly part of the monk’s dormitory with a magnificent 15th-century oak roof and majestic 17th-century bookcases. The tours will also include the Jerusalem Chamber where Henry IV died in 1413.

The tour also includes the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Galleries, which opened in 2018 and displays many of the Abbey’s treasures – which is normally open to the public for an extra £5 on their normal entry charge.

Although photography is now allowed inside the Abbey, it’s not allowed on the hidden highlights tours. Also, children are not allowed on the hidden highlights tours as part of the tour covers an excavated burial site.

I went on a tour a year back, and it adds a lot more to the visit as you do get to see some otherwise private areas.

The tours are an add-on to the existing Abbey entry price, so you need to book a normal adult entry ticket which is £27, then add the Hidden Highlights tour, which costs £15.

Alternatively, by joining the Abbey Association, which costs £40 per year, you get unlimited visits in the year, which saves you £27 per visit and gets you some extra events thrown in for members.

You need to book both entry tickets and tours at the same time, from here.

Tips:

If booking for the 12:15pm tour, they recommend booking your visitor tickets to arrive earlier so you have time to visit the rest of the Abbey first.

Make a note of the date and time you’re booking for before clicking on their website, as it takes you to the normal booking page and you need to click on the date and time again – book normal tickets, do NOT add galleries tickets, and then add the Hidden Highlights tour.

This article was published on ianVisits

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The post Tickets Alert: Hidden highlights tours of Westminster Abbey appeared first on ianVisits.