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Historical sanctuary

The Cloisters, Westminster Abbey

Westminster, London, England · Christianity · Cloister

The Cloisters at Westminster Abbey are the Great Cloisters of the former Benedictine monastery, linking monastic walks, the garth, chapter-house access, study, and Abbey movement.

Explore sacred sites in Western EuropeCheck official visitor information
The Great Cloisters of Westminster Abbey around the cloister garth.
Photo by XaviguillenSourceCC BY-SA 3.0
GeographyEurope · United Kingdom · Western Europe
TraditionChristianity
EvidenceHistorical sacred site
SeasonYear-round with crowd awareness
AccessManaged worship and visitor access

At a glance

How to read this place: The cloisters make Westminster's former Benedictine life visible through movement around the garth.

Plan your visit

A monastic walking route inside Westminster's royal and pilgrimage precinct.

LocationWestminster, London, England
Getting thereWestminster Abbey, London
Best seasonYear-round with crowd awareness
Best time of dayMorning or afternoon during Abbey visiting hours
Typical visit20-45 minutes within a longer Abbey visit
Physical difficultyCloister walking with historic surfaces and managed visitor flow
AccessibilityCheck Westminster Abbey guidance for current accessible routes through the cloisters and adjoining spaces.
AccessManaged worship and visitor access
Official informationCheck current visitor information
OrientationVisitors should move slowly through the walks and connect them with the garth, chapter house, and Abbey route.
How it fits a routeThey fit a Westminster Abbey route focused on monastic life, worship, royal ceremony, and sacred architecture.
Move through the walks slowly and notice how the garth, doors, and adjoining spaces guide the route.
Use the cloisters to reset between busier Abbey interiors and quieter monastic spaces.
Walk the sides of the garth slowly enough to notice how the route organizes movement.
Connect the cloisters with the Abbey's Benedictine monastery history.
Look for adjoining doors and spaces that show the cloister as a working route.

Respect essentials

DressDress respectfully for Westminster Abbey and former monastic spaces.
PhotographyFollow Abbey rules for photography, cloister areas, services, and restricted routes.
Ritual restrictionsDo not enter closed walks, disturb worship, or touch tombs, stonework, or protected fittings.

What stands out

The Abbey describes the cloisters as walks used by monks for meditation, exercise, and movement between monastic buildings.
The Benedictine monastery page gives the cloisters their wider monastic setting.
The Great Cloisters are documented as a distinct Westminster Abbey place.

Why this place matters

The cloisters preserve Westminster's Benedictine past in a route that still shapes how visitors move through the precinct.

Their walks turn the Abbey visit from a sequence of monuments into a memory of daily monastic movement.

Story and context

History and sacred context

Westminster Abbey began as a Benedictine monastery, and the cloisters preserve part of that institutional life.

The cloister walks connect that monastic history with the Abbey route visitors encounter today.

FAQ

What are the Cloisters at Westminster Abbey?They are the Great Cloisters of the former Benedictine monastery, arranged around a garth and linked to Abbey movement.
Why visit Westminster Abbey's cloisters?They show how the Abbey worked as a monastery, with walking, study, ritual movement, and access between buildings.

Sources

  • Official websiteOfficial sitePrimary visitor-facing site for current access and institutional context.
  • UNESCO entryUNESCO World Heritage CentrePrimary authority source for the Westminster World Heritage property and the sacred roles of Westminster Abbey and Saint Margaret's Church within the ensemble.
  • Wikipedia entryWikipediaWikipedia article for The Cloisters, Westminster Abbey.
  1. Palace of Westminster and Westminster Abbey including Saint Margaret's Church (Property 426)UNESCO World Heritage Centre · Heritage authorityPrimary authority source for the Westminster World Heritage property and the sacred roles of Westminster Abbey and Saint Margaret's Church within the ensemble.Accessed 2026-04-23
  2. The CloistersWestminster Abbey · Official siteOfficial abbey history page describing the cloisters as spaces for meditation, exercise, ritual, and access to monastic buildings.Accessed 2026-04-23
  3. Benedictine monasteryWestminster Abbey · Official siteOfficial abbey history page describing the cloisters as the centre of monastic life, including reading, study, and movement between monastery spaces.Accessed 2026-04-23
  4. The Great Cloisters of Westminster Abbey (Q96184865)Wikidata · Entity referenceEntity anchor for the Great Cloisters of Westminster Abbey as a distinct component of the abbey precinct.Accessed 2026-04-23
  5. Category:Cloister of Westminster AbbeyWikimedia Commons · Media sourceVisual context for the cloisters of Westminster Abbey, including the garth and cloister walks.Accessed 2026-04-23
  6. The Cloisters, Westminster AbbeyWikipedia · Entity referenceWikipedia article for The Cloisters, Westminster Abbey.Accessed 2026-04-25

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