St Margaret's Church, Westminster Religious Site

Address: St Margaret’s Church, Westminster, Parliament Square, London SW1P 3PA, United Kingdom

Website: https://www.westminster-abbey.org/st-margaret-s-church

Hours: Open to visitors outside service times

Admission: Free (active parish church; donations welcome)

St Margaret’s Church, Westminster, is a historic parish church situated between Westminster Abbey and the Palace of Westminster in central London. It has served as the parish church for the House of Commons and is part of the ensemble of buildings on Parliament Square.

The church’s interior and fittings reflect its medieval origins and later alterations; services, weddings and memorials continue to be held in the building. It is a Grade I listed building and lies within the Westminster UNESCO World Heritage Site buffer.

St Margaret’s developed as the parish church adjacent to the abbey and the royal and parliamentary precincts; over the centuries it has served the local parish and institutions connected to Parliament. The building has medieval roots with subsequent restorations and maintenance.

The church stands on Parliament Square in the City of Westminster, immediately adjacent to Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament and within easy walking distance of central London transport links.

• Parliamentary links: Located in the grounds of the Palace of Westminster, historically associated with the Houses of Parliament and used for private and civic services.

St Margaret’s Church, Westminster, sits beside Westminster Abbey on Parliament Square in central London. Take the London Underground to Westminster station (Jubilee, District and Circle lines) - it is a very short walk across Parliament Square from the station exits. Several central London bus routes also stop on Parliament Square/Whitehall; the church is immediately adjacent to the Palace of Westminster.

• Check the church's opening times and service schedule before going-St Margaret's is adjacent to Westminster Abbey and is sometimes closed for services or events, so the best quiet visiting windows are weekday mornings or early afternoons.
• Visit outside peak Abbey visiting hours (early morning or late afternoon) to experience the interior memorials and parliamentary ties with fewer crowds, and consider attending a short service or Evensong for a fuller sense of the building in use.
• Enter from the parliamentary/Abbey Green side to approach the church in context with Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament; many visitors focus only on the Abbey and miss the church's historic memorials.