Westminster Abbey in the Reformation and Civil War

Learn how Westminster Abbey navigated the English Reformation, Civil War, and Restoration—losses, protections, and continuities.

12/2/2025

17 min read

Historic painting of Westminster Abbey precinct and Parliament

Great stones, greater storms: the Abbey bent with the winds and stood.

Key Phases

Tudor Reformation: monastic life ends; collegiate church status emerges.
Commonwealth era: iconoclasm threats, adaptive uses, selective protections.
Restoration: liturgy revives; fabric repairs slowly follow.

Historic miniature

Visiting Tips

Look for tracers of damage and repair in statues and glass.
Exhibits often narrate these turbulent decades.

Bottom Line

Institutions survive by adapting—Westminster is proof in stone.

Om författaren

History Editor

Guiden vill ge ett stilla, rikt möte med Westminster Abbey – klok timing, varsamma rutter och lagom kontext så att kapell och berättelser börjar ‘sjunga’.