For over 1,000 years, Westminster Abbey has staged some of the most momentous scenes in British history - coronations and burials of monarchs from the time of William the Conqueror, lavish ceremonies, and religious and political power struggles. Yet it has remained a place of worship and contemplation, with music playing an essential role in its devotional life. In the first of two programmes, Christopher Page and John Field trace its history, from its Roman origins on Bramble Island in the marshlands of the Thames.
Producer Kate Bolton