The biggest cathedral in the UK is Westminster Abbey. It is a large, Gothic cathedral located in the City of Westminster, London. The abbey was founded in the 960s by King Edward the Confessor and was consecrated in 1065. It has been the coronation site for English and British monarchs since 1066. The abbey is a Royal Peculiar, meaning it is directly under the jurisdiction of the sovereign, and it is not part of any diocese.
Westminster Abbey has a length of 500 feet (152 metres) and a width of 300 feet (91 metres). The nave – where most visitors spend their time – is 240 feet (73 metres) long, 85 feet (26 metres) wide and 104 feet (32 metres) high. In total, there are more than 3,000 monuments within Westminster Abbey including statues, effigies, tombstones and memorial plaques commemorating some of Britain’s most famous historical figures such as Isaac Newton, Geoffrey Chaucer and Charles Darwin.
The building itself is an architectural masterpiece with its intricate stone carvings, stained glass windows and soaring Gothic arches but what makes Westminster Abbey so special are its close associations with British royalty and history. Many royal weddings have taken place here including that of Prince William to Kate Middleton in 2011 which was watched by millions around the world on television.
