\paperw3360 \margr0\margl0\ATXph11340 \plain \fs20 \pard\tx3255\tx6525\tx9780\ATXts240\ATXbrdr0 \f1 \fs22 The imposing medieval architecture of Westminster Abbey has for centurie
s impressed visitors to London. However, the building also occupies a unique place in the British national consciousness because it is the resting place of the countryÆs monarchs and the setting for great pageants such as coronations. Some of the tombs
are strikingly plain, while others are richly decorated. Moreover, the aisles and transepts also house a great number of monuments to some of BritainÆs greatest public figures, from politicians to poets.\par
\pard\ATXts240\ATXbrdr0 The greatest of Londo
nÆs medieval monuments, Westminster Abbey is a highly complex building constructed over a period of 300 years. It was begun in 1245 at the behest of the most prolific of royal builders, Henry III. The first part of the work to be accomplished was the ea
st end, which followed the French tradition of the polygonal apse with ambulatory and radiating chapels. During the sixteenth century a pre-existing chapel was demolished to make way for the spectacular Henry VII Chapel, whose fan vaults are a typical fe
