Westminster Abbey describes itself as “Place of Worship, House of Kings,” and it is a very apt description for this most imposing of churches. Enter via the famous West Front and it’s easy to see why every British monarch has been crowned here since 1066. The original “west minster” church was consecrated in 1065, but now all that remains of this are the Undercroft supporting columns, which can be seen in the Abbey Museum. In the 13th century, Henry III remodelled the Abbey in Gothic style, and soon it became the last resting place for medieval kings and queens including Richard II and Henry V. Henry VII added the wonderful Lady Chapel with its fan-vaulted roof suspended like intricate lacework above the last monarch buried in the Abbey, George II. The famous Poet’s Corner is in the South Transept, but was never intended to be a resting place for writers. Geoffrey Chaucer was only buried here because he was Clerk of Works to the Palace of Westminster, not for his “Canterbury Tales.” Authors buried here include Charles Dickens, Thomas Hardy and the poet Alfred Lord Tennyson. Despite his fancy memorial, Shakespeare’s bones do not actually lie here. It’s always worth looking underfoot at Westminster Abbey, especially in front of the High Alter. The Cosmati pavement here is 12th century, and hides the original resting place of the British saint Edward the Confessor, whose elaborate shrine opposite is still a place of pilgrimage. Westminster Abbey is renowned for its choir and music. Every day at Evensong, the vast space fills with the angelic voices of the boys’ choir, along with the booming presence of the magnificent Harrison organ. It’s well worth a listen, regardless of faith.