Westminster Abbey Museum

Westminster Abbey Museum stood in the 11th-century stone undercroft beneath the monks’ dormitory at Westminster Abbey. The space dated from the Romanesque church begun by Edward the Confessor in 1065. It had served as a museum since 1908. The undercroft was one of the oldest parts of the abbey. Visitors walked among the same low vaults that once housed the monks. The collection included funeral effigies of English monarchs. Henry V’s saddle, helm and shield were displayed alongside effigies of Edward III, Henry VII and Elizabeth of York. Mary II’s coronation chair and replicas of the regalia were also shown. The Westminster Retable, England’s oldest altarpiece from the late 13th century, was a later addition. The panel had been cleaned and conserved after centuries of damage. The museum has now closed and its treasures moved to the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Galleries. The new galleries occupy the triforium high above the abbey floor. From there visitors look down on the nave and crossing. The setting preserves the historic character of the building while giving modern access to the collections.