Chance to walk on roof of Westminster Abbey

Westminster Abbey. Photo by Charles Postiaux on Unsplash

For the first time in its history, Westminster Abbey is planning to offer roof tours as part of a Summer Festival of events, from June to September, celebrating the Queen's Platinum Jubilee.

Those with a head for heights, who can tackle steep stairs in sensible shoes, will be able traverse the Abbey's roofs in a 90-minute tour led by the Abbey's Clerk of the Works and Head of Visitor Experience.

The tours, which will run from June to August, will include magnificent views across London towards the Palace of Westminster, the newly revealed Elizabeth Tower (Big Ben), and the London Eye. It will also be a chance to see the Abbey's gothic architecture up close, and its fantastical collection of gargoyles and grotesques.

Other Platinum Jubilee events include:

- The Queen & Her Abbey - a new guided tour about the royal occasions which The Queen has marked at the Abbey including her marriage to The Duke of Edinburgh, and her coronation in 1953.

- Jubilee Teas - a special afternoon tea of royally inspired sandwiches, cakes, biscuits and scones served on the beautiful lawn of the Abbey's Cloister Garth over the Jubilee weekend.

- Alongside the Platinum Jubilee events in its Summer Festival, the Abbey is extending its run of Hidden Highlights tours, which offer visitors a unique view behind the scenes.

- The Abbey's Head Gardener will be leading a new tour around the Abbey's historic gardens, which have been in existence since monastic times. Family activities will include crown-making, brass rubbing, and tours geared towards younger visitors.

- The Abbey's Summer Organ Festival returns in July and August with performances by leading organists and the chance to find out more about the 'king of instruments' at behind-the-scenes Discovery Events.

- Some of the UK's finest brass bands will be playing in the Abbey's College Garden, and there will be music after-hours in the Cloisters. There will also be open-air cinema from Luna Cinema, and Shakespearean comedy from Illyria Theatre.

The Head of Visitor Experience, Scott Craddock said: "The Platinum Jubilee is such a special and joyous occasion for the nation, and we're really looking forward to celebrating it here at Westminster Abbey with new tours, events and experiences for our visitors."

See the complete list of events and tours for this year's Summer Festival: www.westminster-abbey.org/visit-us/summer-festival