Saint Margaret's Church on Parliament Square
Saint Margaret's Church on Parliament Square
Saint Margaret's Church on Parliament Square
4.5
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Monday
9:30 AM - 3:30 PM
Tuesday
9:30 AM - 3:30 PM
Wednesday
9:30 AM - 3:30 PM
Thursday
9:30 AM - 3:30 PM
Friday
9:30 AM - 3:30 PM
Saturday
9:30 AM - 1:30 PM
Sunday
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
About
St. Margaret's Church stands between Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament and is often called "the parish church of the House of Commons."
Duration: 1-2 hours
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listingTours & experiences
Explore different ways to experience this place.
What is Travellers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.
Plan your visit
The area
Address
Neighbourhood: Westminster
If you only had an afternoon to experience London on a grand scale, Westminster would be a wise place to start. The ornate Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey sit adjacent at a corner of Parliament Square, and a short stroll along The Mall leads to Buckingham Palace. Trafalgar Square and Nelson's Column are just up the road as well. As captivating as the architecture is, the wonders of Mother Nature are highlights of the area too. St James's Park (arguably London's loveliest), the expansive Green Park, and pedestrian friendly tree lined paths along the river showcase the exquisite manicure provided by English gardeners. Just beyond the landmarks and the gorgeous outdoor spaces, quiet residential squares and age old local pubs offer a more subdued take on this global seat of power in the heart of London.
Reach out directly
Best nearby
We rank these restaurants and attractions by balancing reviews from our members with how close they are to this location.
Restaurants
10,000 within 5 kms
Attractions
2,813 within 10 kms
Contribute
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
We perform checks on reviews.
Tripadvisor’s approach to reviews
Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.
Learn more about our review moderation.
4.5
171 reviews
Excellent
68
Very good
84
Average
18
Poor
1
Terrible
0
These reviews have been automatically translated from their original language.
This service may contain translations provided by Google. Google disclaims all warranties, express or implied, with respect to translations, including any warranties of accuracy, reliability, and any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and freedom from forgery.
HINA W
Islamabad, Pakistan7,348 contributions
Aug 2022 • Family
This church has many names like, ‘The Church on Parliament Square’, ‘The Parish Church of the House of Commons’ and ‘The Parliamentary Church’. This is the second church built on the Westminster Abbey grounds which has some lovely Tudor features. The first church was built here by the Benedictine Monks during the 12th century. The current church was built between 1486 to 1523 on the orders of King Henry VIII. It is historic church because it has the distinction of being the last church that was decorated in the Catholic tradition, in London, before the Reformation Movement took off. It is dedicated to St Margaret of Antioch, a third century martyr. I loved the fact that people like Churchill, Mountbatten and Samuel Pepys got married here. Similarly we saw the graves of famous people like Sir Walter Raleigh, John Milton and most of Cromwell’s supporters here. A famous parishioner here was Chaucer. Do visit this UNESCO world heritage site when you are visiting WestMinster Abbey.
Written 12 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
phat_dawg_21
Alpharetta, GA17,369 contributions
Aug 2022
This church is on the grounds of Westminster Abbey on Parliament Square. It was founded in the twelfth century by Benedictine monks to serve as a parish church.
There are a number of famous people buried there including Sir Walter Raleigh who was executed in Old Palace Yard and then buried in the church in 1618. The poet John Milton, a parishioner of the church, is also buried there.
There are a number of famous people buried there including Sir Walter Raleigh who was executed in Old Palace Yard and then buried in the church in 1618. The poet John Milton, a parishioner of the church, is also buried there.
Written 7 October 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
PATO-BETO
San Martin, Argentina20,288 contributions
Oct 2023 • Couples
Its exterior is truly to admire. It was built in 1523 and was declared a World Heritage Site along with Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament by UNESCO in 1987. Dedicated to Margaret of Antioch. We could only see its facade, I am not informed if it can be visited.
Written 11 December 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
NJ_Visitor
Pittstown, NJ179 contributions
Feb 2023
First time visit. I usually attend services at Westminster Abbey. It has a more relaxed feel, a bit less "intimidating" yet almost as old as the Abbey. After services, it was pleasant to walk around to read the places and other features of the church. This is opposed to Westminster Abbey where everyone is rushed out after services.
Written 27 February 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bluebellplasnewydd
Cardiff, UK2,040 contributions
Apr 2024 • Couples
The main attraction is Westminster Abbey but don't forget St Margaret's church on the sidelines. Easy to ignore or miss. It is a beautiful parish type church in excellent condition as you would expect. It feels warmly and there are many plaques on the walls. It is in complete contrast to the busy and crowded Abbey.
Written 23 April 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Linda C
Longwood, FL3,790 contributions
May 2016 • Friends
We were here to see some of the historical areas in this most busy section of London and while those occupying the line to get into Westminster were enough to populate a small country this beautiful and historical church which bears a window that dates to the Tudors (originally thought to be made for Henry VIII's wedding to his first wife Catherine of Argon, new evidence seems to indicate that this may have been glass originally made for her engagement and/or marriage to Arthur, Henry's older brother who died in his teens. In fact it was built in the early 1500s and eventually became the church of the House of Commons in the early 1600s. It is said that the church being less ornate than the larger Abbey made it popular with the rising presence of Puritans in the body. Milton worshipped her. Walter Raleigh is buried here and it is still used for regular worship and music recitals. It is not a small church it just looks that way because of it's neighbor's size. It's well worth a visit and a much better activity than hours in line at Westminster. Oh there are no pictures allowed inside so I can't show you just how beautiful the inside is.
Written 9 September 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Epic-Traveller
Rushden, UK4,511 contributions
Aug 2019 • Solo
This little church, on the grounds of Westminster Abbey, is quite often confused with Westminster Abbey.
It’s a little white church in the back, left corner of the Abbey Grounds if you’re facing the main entrance (from Dean’s Yard).
It’s a little white church in the back, left corner of the Abbey Grounds if you’re facing the main entrance (from Dean’s Yard).
Written 31 August 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Howlo
Buckingham, UK9,727 contributions
May 2019 • Couples
This is a pleasant but small church on Parliament Square, its shadowed by the Abbey but is well worth a visit. Often used by Parliament for small ceremonies.
Written 26 May 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
hctravelers
Fishers, IN1,085 contributions
Oct 2016 • Friends
Did not take the time to go inside of St. Margaret's church or Westminster Abbey. But we certainly enjoyed the view's from the outside and took a few pictures. Read picture of the sign I posted here.
Very interesting indeed, at least to me personally. I have spent the last several yrs researching information on Henry VIII and his 6 wives, with Catherine of Aragon being his first.
Very interesting indeed, at least to me personally. I have spent the last several yrs researching information on Henry VIII and his 6 wives, with Catherine of Aragon being his first.
Written 23 October 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
StephenCross
Dublin, Ireland31,546 contributions
Aug 2021 • Solo
Disappointing because it stands between Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament . It’s somewhat plain in appearance.
Written 12 August 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
How do you enter St. Margaret’s Church without standing in line for Westminster Abbey? I can’t figure out how to bypass the Westminster Abbey line for just St. Margaret’s Church. Advice please. Thank you.
Written 14 August 2023
santiago b
London, United Kingdom
i would like to know what religion is this church
Written 3 November 2015
I didn't follow a mass there, but I am pretty sure it's Anglican.
Written 6 November 2015
Showing results 1-2 of 2
Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.
*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing