Abbey To Charge Admission

Sun., Feb. 15, 1998

New York Times

Westminster Abbey will begin charging admission next month in an effort to control crowds. At the moment there is an entrance fee of $7 to the Royal Chapel and Poets’ Corner, but none to enter the nave, which houses the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior.

Canon David Hutt emphasizes that “real pilgrims” will still have access to the church. “Anyone who wants to sit quietly or say a prayer will not be subjected to the third degree,” he said. “But we are in danger of being overwhelmed and need to safeguard what is precious about the abbey.”

With the number of daily visitors reaching as many as 16,000 in summer, it is no surprise that crowd control is a problem in this small building. By midday, tour guides shout to be heard, producing “an unacceptable noise, ” according to Canon Hutt.

The problem escalated when Eurostar trains began arriving daily from Paris, bringing a surge in day-trippers, who often use the Abbey as a meeting point before heading back across Westminster Bridge to Waterloo Station. During a trial period last summer called Recovering the Calm, the abbey managed to reduce visitor traffic by one third and noise levels by half.

Westminster Abbey is open Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 4:45 p.m (last admission at 3:45 p.m.), Saturday 9 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. (last admission 1:45 p.m.); on Sunday the abbey is open only for services.

As of March 11, admission will be $8.75; $5.25 for students and seniors; $3.50 ages 11 to 16. Children under 11 are free. Family tickets for two adults and two children are $17.50.

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