West Minster Abbey Vision

8/8/2019 West Minster Abbey Vision

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Westminster

Abbey:A strAtegyfor 2020

Andbeyond


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messAge fromthe deAn

of Westminster

Why do we need a strategy? We love our Abbey as it is, with its

pattern of the daily worship of Almighty God which has continuedhere for a thousand years.

Those who came before us have left a wonderful building, alivewith history, a treasure-house of art, architecture and music. But theduty of each generation is to build on that inheritance, not simplyconserve it. Like the stewards in the parable, we have been given ourtreasure not to be hoarded but enhanced, to the glory of God, and toenrich the lives of those who come after us.

This strategy maps an exciting path into the future. We have theopportunity to improve not just the fabric of a unique building,but the experience of those we welcome here to worship or wonder.

We believe that the refreshment our Abbey can offer has never beenmore vital to our national life, founded as it is on Christian faith andpartnership with the Church, so powerfully symbolised here.

When our term as stewards ends we must be ready to answerthe question, What mark did our lives leave on the Abbey and itsservice to the nation?Over the next decade we could see the greatesttransformation of the Abbey since Nicholas Hawksmoor createdthe West Towers 264 years ago.

The aim of this strategy is to help us approach that challengetogether with condence and clarity of purpose.

The Very Reverend Dr John HallDean of Westminster


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Procession of the Knights of the Order of the Bath, Canaletto, 1749

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It is the home of great souls who shared a love of

our country, created the world we inhabit, andshaped the way we think and feel. Walk into theAbbey and you encounter living history, Christianfaith and national life interwoven.

You feel the sanctity of Edward the Confessor, thepassionate humanity of Wilberforce, the restlesspresence of Darwins intellect, the courage ofairmen battling in our skies in two world wars forfreedom, the majesty of great kings and queens and so many other threads woven through ournational life.

Look down from the Triforium level and you seethe stage on which many great national dramashave been played: playboy Prince Hal becomingthe warrior king, a teenage Victoria taking on theheavy mantle of sovereignty or, in our own time,

the death of Diana, Princess of Wales and thepassing of our beloved Queen Mother.

The past comes to life in many historic buildings.But the Abbey also looks forward. It is the placewhere the great public occasions of our owngeneration are marked, and where unknowablefuture events will be mourned or celebratedcenturies from now.

The Abbey is a special place where, in T S Eliots

words, we understand that

Time present and time pastAre both perhaps present in time future,And time future contained in time past.

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The Abbey has not just passively witnesseda thousand years of history either. As thepinnacle of the relationship between church,state and monarchy, it has played an activerole in the course of events.

The Coronation o Queen Victoria, 1838


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To discover its signicance, enjoy its beauty and beinspired by its worship is to explore our roots in thepast, our place in todays world, and our hopes forthe future.

But history is only a part of the Abbeys being. Itremains, as it always has been, a place of worshipand wonder at the heart of a hectic, materialisticmodern city. It is there to satisfy our spiritualhunger for God, to refresh us and connect us with

the lasting things of the spirit which matter.

Today this magnicent building has the samepower to speak to us and bring us togetheras it ever had. Our duty is to serve that purpose,and to welcome worshippers, friends, pilgrimsand visitors from every corner of the world tothe joy, inspiration and peace to be found withinits walls.

Shakespeares monument in Poets Corner

He is the surest friend who does not change withthe seasons of fortune, but...is an ever-xed mark,that looks on tempests and is never shaken.

ShakespeareIn a typical year, the Abbey holds over 1,500 daily

worship and special services


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The Coronation Chair


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Welcome, Wonder & Worship:WhAt the Abbey mUst provide

This duty of service has been performed through

centuries of profound social change. At the start ofa new millennium, we in turn must help to meetthe spiritual needs of todays multicultural nation,and make sure that the Abbey will be able toprovide refreshment to our children andgrandchildren.

Westminster Abbey must remain a place of peaceand reection, providing oxygen for the soul a still point of the turning world for those whocome into it from the busy streets of London. Introubled and confusing times we need its powermore than ever to renew and inspire us.

This can happen in three intertwined ways:

Welcome

Welcoming friends, pilgrims and strangers hasbeen part of the Christian mission here sinceBenedictine monks rst invited outsiders into theirnew Abbey on Thorney Island. Times change,and with them the challenge of providing a warm-hearted, individual welcome.

Today we serve a fast-changing multiculturalnation, part of a globalised culture. Visitors comefrom all religious backgrounds and none. Set in theheart of London, next to the seat of government,we are proud ambassadors for our country,

welcoming people from every corner of the globe.This means the development of an educationprogramme for schoolchildren and adults, high-quality visitor facilities to equip them with theknowledge they need to enjoy the Abbey, andmodern hospitality amenities. Most vital of all isthe warmth of an individual human welcome:kind, friendly and helpful.

To offer a professional welcome to over one millionvisitors a year is a huge challenge for any culturaldestination. But we must meet it in a holy place,

created for prayer and worship. We succeed only ifvisitors can leave us not just impressed, but refreshedby the timeless peace and majesty of the Abbey.

Wonder

Most visitors come to see one of Europes greatestcultural and historic destinations. The quality oftheir experience must match that expectation.We hope it can go much further. We want visitors toshare our sense of wonder and awe about the Abbey.

by welcomingnew generations, many fromnon-Christian and secular backgrounds,to share the experience of the Abbey;

by enabling millions of visitors to wonderatits beauty, history and traditions in anatmosphere of peace;

by inviting people to join in its worship,which always has been and always will bethe heart of its life.

Welcome, wonder and worship are inseparableelements of the Christian life, and everythingwe do as servants of the Abbey is to furtherthose purposes.


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Wonder must lie at the heart of our offering tovisitors. We hope that each day thousands can stepout of the hurlyburly of a great city to marvel atthe Abbeys timeless beauty and rich history, andsense the presence of those whose great lives arecommemorated within it. This needs to be encouraged.

Visitors need information and guidance tounderstand the signicance of what they see.But above all they need an atmosphere whichnurtures wonder at the Abbeys artistic splendour,at its unending role in our history and at the3,300 souls whose lives are commemoratedwithin its walls.

WORSHIP

Westminster Abbey is rst and foremost a place ofworship. That is why it was built and why it hasbeen cherished over the years. Worship is the motivebehind all its glorious art, architecture and music.

Like any church or cathedral, we are here to meetthe spiritual needs of people through a rich patternof daily prayer and worship. But we also uniquelyprovide the acts of worship which mark great

occasions of state, and embody the role of religionin our national life.

The pressure of over a million visitors each yearcan sometimes make it difcult to foster anatmosphere of spirituality and peace. Our task is tond ways to satisfy both the spiritual hunger andthe need for reection and contemplation of thosewho come through our doors.From 13th century tiled foor o the Chapter House

As the rose is the fower o all fowers so doesthis house surpass all other houses

We want visitors to experience the beautyof the Abbey through its worship, music,history and art. But we can make noassumptions about the knowledge they bring

with them. We must make the Abbey bothphysically and intellectually accessible if noone is to feel excluded.

The man who is not moved by itmust have resigned the human faculty

of let t ing his eyes convey ideas tohis brain.

William MorrisSpeaking of Westminster Abbey


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Vaulted Ceiling in Henry VIIs Lady Chapel


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for us to expand or develop our vision today, is tomake more creative use of the space we have. Thisleads us to the conviction that we must develop theTriforium and other spaces within the Abbey.

A place of wonder:

the Triforium Galleries

High above the Abbey oor, the huge gallery levelor Triforium, with its apsidal chapels, has neverbeen accessible to the public. Sir John Betjeman

once described the view from it as the nest inEngland. It is a vast space that acts as an Aladdinsstorage cave of hidden treasures: stained glass,models, artefacts of all kinds and a lapidarium.

By providing public access to it with a lift, we shallbe able to add a new dimension to visitorsexperience of the Abbey and open a whole newspace for our wider use. Much of the Triforium willbecome galleries for exhibiting treasures such asbooks from our 16th century library, textiles, goldand silver plate and rare documents, and will alsobe used for rotating displays and exhibitions linked

to historical or special events and to the Abbeyshistory. This will also allow us to move our museumup, freeing vital space for improved visitorfacilities on the ground.

A warmer welcome:

visitor facilities

In the 21st century, our hospitality should beworthy of a World Heritage Site, of which theAbbey is part, and of one of Britains mostinspiring places of worship. Todays facilities arehighly inadequate and can make an unsatisfactoryimpression on visitors.

The wealth of experiences offered by the Abbey,particularly with the opening of the new TriforiumGalleries, means that they will want to stay with uslonger. At the moment we are able to offer themvery little. Visitors will need new toilets, a new caf/refectory and a better shop.

Even more importantly, a visitor centre, withrst-rate displays and audio-visual materials, willhelp them understand the Abbey better. We want

their direct experience of the building to be as richand spontaneous as possible.

With an excellent visitor centre and a range ofimaginative audio guides there will be no need forintrusive interpretation panels or signage insidethe Abbey.

Triorium level o Abbey to be converted into galleries

For the rst time visitors will be able to sharethe poets wonder at the glorious vision of theAbbey below. At the same time, the galleriesand setting will bring the Abbeys heritage ofgreat art and craftsmanship to the public in aspace which does them justice.

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Inspiring a new generation:

education at the Abbey

Education is a major priority for us. We want todevelop much stronger links with schools inLondon and beyond to make sure that each newgeneration can understand the signicance of theAbbey in our national life and has the chance tobe inspired by its grandeur.

We have created a new Education Centre for school

visits which was opened by Her Majesty in May 2010,and have recruited our rst ever Head of Education.The rst focus of the centre will be building curriculumlinks with primary schools.

Imaginative internet materials will be developedwhich can be downloaded to help students preparefor visits, and enable them to follow up theirexperiences in the Abbey upon their return to school.The education team will also help to build up theAbbeys specialist lecture and debate programmes.

Open to the world: the Abbey online

Modern internet technology can open theexperience of the Abbey and its intellectualresources to the world. We can build a powerfulcommunity of friends and supporters across theglobe who are able to enjoy webcasts of ourservices, concerts, lecture series and debates.

Digitisation of documents in our archives andlibrary will make them accessible online to scholarsand students. And over time it will be possible tooffer virtual tours of the Abbey, its treasures andcurrent exhibitions. These are powerful tools to rethe imagination of potential visitors.

Enhancing worship

Above all we want these visionary enhancements tostrengthen the spiritual role of the Abbey both forlocal people in Britain and for the world beyond.It should be a place which people do not just walkpast, but come in, whether for a full visit, a service,or a moment of quiet prayer and reection.

We will raise the public prole of our worshipthrough the website, press, and other media.Improved communications with our regularworshippers will help us to grow the Abbeyspastoral community developing much closer linkswith our neighbours, whether living locally, inbusiness or public service.

Welcoming over a million visitors (not countingworshippers) must not conict with the need to

provide places for peaceful meditation. Restorationwork will regain a number of small chapels forprivate prayer and devotion.

Music is central to the Abbeys spiritual life, andwe want to guarantee its quality and range. We willprovide improved facilities for our choristers toensure great musical performances and to developa wider network of relationships with othermusicians to extend the programme of concertsand offerings.

The shrine of St Edward the Confessor has been aplace of pilgrimage for 1000 years. We will build

on this tradition, continuing to invite parishes fromacross the nation to come to the Abbey and joinour worship. We will reach out to communities whohave never previously had contact with the Abbey.

And nally, this vision for the Abbey is allowingus to review the debate that has taken place forcenturies from the time of Sir Christopher Wrenand Nicholas Hawksmoor to that of the eminentVictorian, Sir Gilbert Scott, about nishing thestructure of the Abbey. This is the time to exploreproperly the possibilities.

To provide the public benets of thistransformation, the Abbey depends on thegenerosity of individuals. It needs us; it hasno other source of funding. For 1,000 yearsthis great building has brought inspirationand consolation to millions of people.Today its future lies in all our hands.


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Poets Corner


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the Abbey in 2020:oUr vision of the fUtUre

Civil servants on the way to their Whitehall ofces

may look up and see the Abbey glinting in themorning light, inspiring momentary wonder asHawksmoors new towers must have caught theimagination of 18th century passers-by. Some willjoin us for prayer or worship ahead of their busyworking days.

Soon the green grass and mellow stone of theprecincts will be thronging with visitors arriving,guidebooks and mobile devices in hand, to walkdown the pages of our history.

High up in the Triforium, visitors will be able tosee the interior of the Abbey for the rst time as aglorious whole. Walking round the galleries theywill discover some of its wonderful treasures such as rare stained glass, royal efgies, a 1st edition

of MiltonsParadise Lost, the cope worn at Charles IIscoronation and enjoy displays which open up itsspiritual life.

Throughout the day, the quiet of St Faiths Chapeloffers people the chance to step out of the bustlefor prayer or reection.

At lunchtime, the Abbey will be a place of warmhospitality. The shop will be busy. In the refectory,good, simple food will be served in a calm and

welcoming atmosphere to refresh and recharge

our visitors.

Meanwhile in the education centre, two groups ofschoolchildren, many of whom have never been in aplace of worship before, will be preparing for theirvisit under the guidance of our education ofcers.

School children visiting the Abbey

As they enter, they can begin to appreciatethe uniqueness of the Abbey. They will startto feel the wonder of the place and sense thepresence of the great souls who arecommemorated within it.


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By late afternoon, the atmosphere is changing.With the last visitors leaving, it is time for the localcommunity and worshippers to come for Evensong.In the new choir facilities, choristers gather to preparefor tonights service and rehearse for next weeksconcert, which will be webcast around the world.

The street lights go on. The organ sounds and thechoir and people combine in Evensong. Tonight theyare joined by a visiting congregation from Tower

Hamlets a memorable end to their parishpilgrimage. In Cheneygates, the Abbey is hostingthe latest in a series of public debates on Capitalismand Christian values with a world-wide audiencewatching over the internet.

The nal prayer service of the day ends, thepilgrims leave, and the great West Door is locked.The Abbey stands silent in the heart of our capital

city as a timeless reminder of the values, hopes andhistory we all share:

Nothing fundamental has changed here for athousand years. Nothing should change. Theenhancements of our vision have left a beautifulplace more beautiful, more welcoming, better-equipped to satisfy the spiritual and cultural hungerof the 21st century. The wonder and sense of peaceit can inspire are intact.

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Inscription rom west ront o Abbey

A serious house on serious earth it is,In whose blent air all our compulsions meet,Are recognized, and robed as destinies.

Philip Larkin

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www.westminster-abbey.org

For further information, please contact:

The Chapter Ofce20 Deans YardWestminster AbbeyLondon SW1P 3PAUnited Kingdom

Telephone: +44 (0) 20 7222 5152Facsimile: +44 (0) 20 7233 2072Email: [email protected]

Published by

The Dean and Chapter of Westminster 2009 Dean and Chapter of Westminster

Photography Alan Williams (p.11)

Documents

West Minster Abbey Vision