Grim Mourning and welcome to the Grim. I'm your host, Kristin. And today's episode will be opening the gate and entering Westminster Abbey. Located in London, England. So grab your favorite mug, cozy up, and let's take a dig into history on this Christmas Eve. The Grimm takes you to a place steeped in history and perfectly suited for the season. Westminster Abbey. While many are enjoying holiday movies, music and the classic tales. One story stands out above the rest. Charles Dickens. A Christmas Carol. It's intriguing how a ghost story has become a beloved part of Christmas tradition, blending the eerie with the uplifting to share a timeless message of hope and redemption. And what better place to explore such themes of Than the Abbey, where history, burials and the spirit of the season come together. But here's where this episode might surprise you. We're not just exploring a traditional graveyard. Instead, we're entering Westminster Abbey, which, though widely admired for its stunning architecture and rich history, is often overlooked for what it truly is a monastery with an extensive burial ground within. So as you tune in this Christmas Eve, prepare for a journey that blends the festive with the macabre in true German style. Upon crossing the threshold of Westminster Abbey, many visitors marvel at the grandeur of its Gothic architecture and its significance as a place of worship. This historic site, established in the year 1960, began humbly as a monastery near the banks of the River Thames. Saint Dunstan and King Edward established a Benedictine monastic community at the site, which remained a Benedictine monastic church until the dissolution of a monastery in 1539. By the 1040, King Edward, later canonized as Saint Edward, the Confessor, chose the monastery to serve as his church, transforming it to a substantial stone structure. The site became known as Westminster, meaning important church or church connected to a monastery to distinguish it from St Paul's Cathedral in East Minister. Located in the city of London for nearly two centuries, Edward's church remained unchanged until the 13th century, when King Edward, the third, embarked on an ambitious transformation. His vision was to create a Gothic masterpiece, a majestic place of worship, the ceremonial stage for coronations and the final resting place for monarchs. The result is the stunning Westminster Abbey as we know it today, drawing millions of visitors each year from this transformation. The Gothic masterpiece Westminster Abbey has hosted every British coronation since 1066, witnessed countless royal events and has been the site of 16 royal weddings. Most notably, it serves as the final resting place for approximately 3330 individuals whose graves lie within the church and its cloisters. A tranquil, covered walkway at the heart of the abbey in the 

3330, at least six monarchs are within eight prime ministers, poets, actors, scientists, military leaders and, of course, the unknown warrior attending the services of lessons in carols or evening song at Westminster Abbey offers a magical way to experience the holiday season. And it's free. However, it's worth noting that these services don't allow for a full tour of the grounds. For those who prefer a deeper dive, ticketed entry includes an excellent audio tour option narrated by Jeremy Irons in the English version. During this season, the Abbey is beautifully adorned with festive decorations and its halls resonate the carols and anthems sung by the Abbey Choir, punctuated by thoughtful readings. What brings the Grimm to this iconic site on Christmas Eve is the celebrated poet's corner. A must visit for literary enthusiasts, Poet's Corner honors over 100 poets and writers serving as their final resting place or commemorating their contributions with memorials alongside tributes and graves for literary giants like William Shakespeare, Jane Austen, the Bronte sisters, Charles Dickens and Geoffrey Chaucer. It's a place where the echoes of their words and legacies linger. Diving into legacies. One man's unparalleled influence on how we celebrate Christmas today is the father of Christmas himself, Charles Dickens. While Dickens didn't invent Christmas, his works, particularly a Christmas carol in prose being a ghost story of Christmas, commonly known as a Christmas carol, played a pivotal role in shaping the holiday's modern identity by popularising themes of generosity, compassion and goodwill. He helped to redefine Christmas, embedding it deeply in the Victorian culture and beyond. His opening line in the famous novel reads. Christmas was dead to begin with. There is no doubt whatever about that. A bleak outlook to how the festive season was before his influence. This was the time when the medieval traditions of a holiday rooted in the Roman festival of Saturnalia, honouring the God of agriculture and the Dramatic Winter Festival of yore, had very significant suppression under Puritan leader Oliver Cromwell, who sought to purge the Church of England of pagan influences and superstitions at this time. Cromwell, in fact, wanted to eradicate Christmas altogether and almost succeeded. In 1644, English laws introduced the first ban on Christmas millennia with a monthly day of prayer and fasting. This effort escalated in 1647 when Parliament passed an ordinance abolishing Christmas as both a holiday and a feast day. By 1657, further restrictions made it illegal to close businesses or attend Christmas services. Firmly suppressing the celebration, the people were deeply unhappy, leading to riots. While many continue to celebrate Christmas in secret, the suppression occurred during the 11 year period when England was under the military rule. Other parliamentarians commonly known as Puritans. Their strict governance ended in 1660 with the restoration of the monarchy. But the impact of the Christmas spirit was undeniable. By the 19 century, the Industrial Revolution had left workers with little time or energy to celebrate, and their Christmas traditions were largely confined to rural areas. Still, seeing the repercussion from Cromwell, yet a revival was quietly taking root, spurred on by writers like Thomas K Harvey, author of The Book of Christmas in 1836 and a familiar figure to the Grimm listeners. American author Washington Irving, whom we featured in episode 18 of Sleepy Hollow Cemetery Irving, who later became a friend of Dickens, played a key role in rekindling this festival spirit through his influential novel Old Christmas. Inspiring Dickens own contributions to Christmas literature, this literary revival found a powerful ally in the royal family, The young Queen Victoria and her German born husband Prince Albert helped popularize Christmas traditions in England. Albert introduced the Christmas tree to Windsor Castle, a tradition from his homeland which had remained free of Puritan suppression alongside Dickens, the royal couple played a key role in reviving festival customs and bringing them back into the cultural spotlight. They encouraged gift giving, emphasizing themes of compassion, generosity and how to reinforce traditional practices. Helping shape Christmas into the holiday we celebrate today. Dickens eloquently described the holidays as a good time, a kind forgivable, terrible, pleasant time. The only time I know of in the long calendar of the year when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut up hearts freely and to think of other people below them as if they really were fellow passengers to the grave and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys. An excerpt from Page ten of A Christmas Carol. Their heartfelt reactions bonded with Dickens, called a Carroll philosophy a belief of the transformative power of compassion and generosity that became a cornerstone of his work and legacy. His burial within the Abbey isn't just from his influence on Christmas, but Dickens extraordinary life and contributions to British culture as we know it. Charles John Huffman. Dickens was an English novelist, journalist, short story writer and social critic known for creating some of literature's most iconic characters. Dickens is considered by many to be the greatest novelist other Victorian era. His works enjoyed immense popularity during his lifetime, and by the 20th century, critics and scholars hailed him as a literary genius. Today, his novels and short stories continue to be widely read and celebrated. Born in Portsmouth, the Dickens early life was marked by hardship at the age of 12. He left school to work in a boot blackening factory when his father, John Dickens, was imprisoned for debt. After three years, he returned to school and later began his literary career as journalist. Dickens went on to edit a weekly journal for 20 years and wrote 15 novels, five novellas. Hundreds of short stories and nonfiction articles. He also lectured and performed readings extensively, wrote countless letters and campaigned for social reforms, particularly for children's rights and education. Dickens literary success began with the 1836 serial publication of the Pickwick Papers, which became a publishing sensation overnight, thanks in part to the introduction of a beloved character, Sam Weller. The work sparked merchandising spinoffs and made Dickens an international celebrity. His works were known for their humor, satire and insightful observations of character and society. Most of his novels were published in monthly or weekly installments, which became the dominant mode of fiction publication during the Victorian era. These cliffhanger endings kept readers on edge and allowed Dickens to respond to the audience feedback by adjusting plotlines and character developments. His novella, A Christmas Carol in 1843, remains especially beloved and has been adapted in countless forms. Other novels, such as Oliver Twist and Great Expectations, have also been frequently adapted and continue to invoke the atmosphere of early Victorian London. His novel Bleak House in 1853 was a critique of the judicial system that ended up playing a role in the legal reform movements in the 1870s. A Tale of Two Cities set in London in Paris is one of his most well-known works of historical fiction. The book includes the famous opening sentence. It was the best of times. Who was the worst of times? It was regularly touted as one of the best selling novels of all time. Later in his career, Dickens embarked on public reading tours drawn by the public's demand for his performances. The term Dickensian has come to describe situations or characters reminiscent of his work, such as poor social or working conditions or grotesque, comically villainous characters. Not only a writer, Jacobs was also a fascinated skeptic in the paranormal from a young age, Dickens was immersed in chilling tales. His nanny, Miss Mercy, would terrify him with nightmarish bedtime stories, ignoring his protests that he was hardly strong enough and old enough to hear the story again just yet. As the author later recalled, She never spared me one word of it. Her name was Mercy, though she had none on me. As he grew older, Dickens continued to indulge in his fascination with the era. He regularly read a horror magazine called The Terrific Register, a fully aware of the intense and contradictory emotions that scary stories stirred with in him. Though he devoured it each week, its tales left him unspeakably miserable. And so frightened that they frightened my very wits out of my head. He claimed. This intrigue with a supernatural remain with him into adulthood. In one example, Dickens wrote to author William Holland asking if he knew of any haunted house whatsoever within the limits of the United Kingdom where nobody could live, eat, drink, stand, lie or sleep without sleep. Molestation. Dickens was also a member of the Ghost Club. That's believed to be the oldest paranormal investigation and research association in the world that was established in London in 1862. Like many famous authors, Dickens was no stranger to tragedy or scandal. His personal life was equally tumultuous. Dickens marriage ended in tragedy when he fell in love with an 18 year old actress involved in one of his stage adaptations in a desperate attempt to avoid the ruinous consequences of divorce or a public scandal. He tried to have his wife, institutional ized. Fortunately, his efforts failed, and his wife understandably left him never to return. On June 8th in 1878, Charles Dickens suffered a stroke after a full day of working on The Mystery of Edwin Drood, his final novel. He fell unconscious and passed away the next day, and home is speculated he was actually at his mistress's house at the time of his death, but due to scandal was taken back to his own home of Goldhill Place. Although Dickens expressed the desire to be buried at Rochester Cathedral in an inexpensive and ostentatious and strictly private manner, he was ultimately laid to rest in Poet's Corner in Westminster Abbey. A printed epithet distributed at the time of his funeral honored his remarkable legacy, stating to the memory of Charles Dickens, who died at his residence, Hingham, near Rochester, Kent, the 9th of June 1870, aged 58 years old. He was a sympathizer with the poor, the suffering and the oppressed. And by his death, one of England's greatest writers is lost to the world. Ironically, Oliver Cromwell, the attempted destroyer of Christmas, was buried in Westminster Abbey in 1658, but his interment was short lived on January 30th in 1661, the 12th anniversary of King Charles, the first execution. Cromwell's body was exhumed, along with those of John Bradshaw and Henry Ireton. The remains were subjected to a symbolic, post, humorous execution. Cromwell's body was hanged in chains in Tyburn in London, and then discarded into a pit while the severed head was displayed on a pole outside Westminster Hall until 1685. Over the years, the head changed hands several times, including a documented sale in 1814 to a Josiah Henry Wilkinson. It was publicly exhibited multiple times before it was finally buried in 1960, but hit the floor of the Antique chapel of the Sidney Sussex Chapel in Cambridge. Although the exact burial location was kept secret, a plaque marks the approximate site. Many people questioned whether the mutilated body at Tyburn and the head displayed at Westminster Hall truly belong to Oliver Cromwell. Those doubts arose from accounts suggesting that Cromwell's body had been secretly reburied multiple times between his death and September of 1658 and the exhumation in January of 1661, likely used to protect it from vengeful royalists. According to various stories, his remains might rest in locations across London, Cambridgeshire, Northamptonshire or Norcia. Yet diving into the world's greatest authors, buried in the abbey, a question comes forward. If the Abbey was built for coronations and a burial place for the monarchy, how did others become interred within? This is thanks to our next famous writer or the father of English literature, Geoffrey Chaucer. And to fully understand why he's buried within, we'll need to dig a bit further into his life. Geoffrey Chaucer, often regarded as the pre-eminent English poet before Shakespeare, has been celebrated as the first founder of the English language. His masterpiece, The Canterbury Tales, ranks among the greatest poetic achievements in English literature. Beyond his literary contributions, Chaucer played a significant role in public affairs during the latter half of the 14th century. As a courtier diplomat and civil servant, earning the trust and support of three successful monarchs. Edward the third, Richard the second and Henry the fourth. Despite his public service, it's his poetry for which Chaucer is best remembered. Chaucer's works are notable for their diversity in subject matter, genre, tone and style, as well as their deep exploration of the human condition and the pursuit of a meaningful existence. His writings reflect a unique blend of humor and philosophical depth, offering both entertainment and thoughtful insights. As a poet of love, Chaucer's themes span from earthly desires and marital deception in to spiritual communication with the divine. His works consistently invite readers to ponder humanity's relationships with each other and with the divine, while also portraying human virtues, flaws and follies with wit and compassion. Chaucer's family had deep ties to London and the Royal Court. His father, John Chaucer, was a successful London vintner and a deputy to the King's butler. He participated in Edward, the third expedition to Antwerp and held properties in Ipswich and London. The family's wealth derived from trade in wine and leather and their surname originated from the French word Chelsea ere meaning shoemaker. Al Jazeera's exact birth date remains unclear. He was likely born between 1342 and 1343. Although no records of his early education exist, he was fluent in French and middle English and later gained proficiency in Latin and Italian. Drawing inspiration from a broad range of contemporary and classical texts. Chaucer's first document ad appearance in history was in 1357 as a member of the household of Elizabeth, Countess of Ulster, wife of Lionel, Duke of Clarence, and the son of Edward the Third. This position likely provided him with a courtly education and vital connections. By 1359, Chaucer had joined Edward that there is army in France and was captured during the siege of Ram's. The king contributed to his ransom, and Chaucer later served as a messenger during peace negotiations in 1360. While records are silent about his activities. Between 1361 and 1365, he was probably engaged in royal service or studying law, a common preparation for public roles. A 13th century account even suggests he was once fined for assaulting a Franciscan friar in 1366. Chaucer embarked on a diplomatic mission to Spain, marking the first of several such assignments over the next decade, during which he often held positions of significant responsibility. By 1366, Geoffrey Chaucer had likely married Philip, a pan who served in the household of Elizabeth, the Countess of Ulster, and later the Court of Queen PHILIPPa of Hania. Their marriage but Chaucer social and financial advantages evidenced by the annuity, as PHILIPPa received often paid through her husband. Chaucer's first significant poem, Book of the Duchess, written in 1369 or 1370 as an elegy for Blanche does it show of Lancaster, wife of his close ally John of gone Gonne using the dream vision form inspired by French poetry and Ovid Chaucer skillfully blended elegy, eulogy and a consolation while establishing his talent for realistic characters and natural conversation. The poem marked the beginning of Chaucer's exploration of love in its various forms, from earthly to divine. During the 1370s, Chaucer held significant royal positions, including a diplomatic envoy and customs controller. His missions to Italy exposed him to the works of Dante, Petrarch and Battaglio, profoundly influencing his later writing. His poem, House of Fame, reflects his period of growth, employing a dreamy vision form, an ironic tone. Although unfinished, it showcases Chaucer's evolving skill, particularly in humor, character creation, and the thematic exploration of fame's fleeting nature. He was appointed Justice of the Peace for Kent and became a Knight of the Shire to represent the county in Parliament in 1386. However, rising political tensions driven by Thomas of Woodstock's faction opposing Richard the second and John of God led to the dismissal of many officials, possibly including Chaucer. Additionally, the declining health and death of his wife, PHILIPPa, in 1387 may have further influenced his decision to relocate and shift his career focus. Chaucer's literary output in the 1380s reflects significant influences and experimentation. His trial, his anchor set up based on Barcelos Phil Strata influence with Bohemian philosophy, is regarded as some of his finest work. The poem explores themes of love, fate and divine perspective. Against the backdrop of the Trojan War. His legend of Good Women, however, was less successful. Featuring a prologue and nine stories that critiqued men's portrayal of women. Despite its shortcomings, the poem introduced the idea of a framed collection of tales, which Chaucer perfected later in the Canterbury Tales. He served as the Kircher the King's work from 1389 to 1391, a role he left after being robbed and beaten multiple times. He then became a sub forester of the Kings Park in Somerset, a position he held until his death. Despite his new role, he remained in favour at court, receiving royal grants and maintaining connections with influential figures such as the future King Henry the Fourth. When Henry ascended the throne in 1399, Chaucer's grants were confirmed and received additional annuities. That same year, he leased a house near Westminster Abbey, where he died in October of 1400. He was buried in the Abbey and extraordinary honour for a commoner. Chaucer's crowning literary achievement of the 1390s was the Canterbury Tales. The work follows with about 30 pilgrims traveling to Canterbury and engaging in a storytelling contest overseen by Harry Bailey, The host of the Talbot. In the General, Prologue introduces the diverse characters from various walks of life, such as a Knight, a Prioress, a miller and the wife of Beth. The Tales 24 in total encompass a wide range of genres, including courtly romances, saints, lives, beast, fables, sermons and allergies, reflecting Chaucer's extensive knowledge and acute observation of medieval society. Although incomplete, the Canterbury Tales is unified by its framing device, dynamic character sketches and interactions between pilgrims. The pilgrimage itself blending religious purpose with secular enjoyment, allows exploration of tensions between worldly pleasures and spiritual aspirations. A theme central to Chaucer and other medieval writers like Boethius. Chaucer's narrative voice in the tales combines humor, insight and philosophical reflection, presenting both the folly and depth of the human condition in the concluding retraction. Chaucer reflects on the transient nature of worldly concerns, seeking forgiveness for his secular works while affirming the nature of his moral and religious writings. The introspective conclusion highlights the spiritual underpinnings of his life and art, bringing his poetic career to a fitting close and a sense of irony. Chaucer's interment in the Abbey wasn't due to his literary achievements, but as positions held in life. Being the clerk of the King's work at the Palace of Westminster, his burial was extremely uncommon, and the first commoner within the abbey a huge honour. It is thought that because he died in the house so near to the abbey and was still in the royal favour, he was buried in the entrance of the chapel of St Benedict and the South Transept of the Abbey. This plain slab, which marks his grave, was apparently signed up when a monument to John Dryden, the poet, was erected there in 1720. So though it's known he's in Poet's Corner, his exact location is unknown. It wasn't until 1556 that the present of grape herb marble monument was erected to Chaucer's memory by another poet, Nicholas Bram. At the back of the monument was once painted a portrait of Chaucer. And in the 18th century trances could also be seen in other figure, possibly that a Brigham Rich lay above the tomb when the arms and crest of Chaucer. But this was destroyed when the monument to John Roberts was inserted in the 1770s, destroying the Arcadian above. In 1866, the decaying lettering of the inscription was discovered and the tomb cleaned. Nearly all of the engraved letters were found and repainted. For those in the literary world, visiting Chaucer's tomb is a profound and beautiful tribute to his life's work, celebrated in all its splendor. It wasn't until 200 years later, another poet was laid to rest in Westminster Abbey for Edmund Spencer, one of the most celebrated poets of the English Renaissance. Born around 1552 in London, Spencer rose from humble beginnings to become a towering literary figure. He was educated at the Merchant Taylor School and later and Pembroke College, Cambridge, where he immersed himself in the classics and began his literary career. Spencer is best known for his epic poem, The Faerie Queene, a rich allegorical work celebrating Queen Elizabeth, the first and exploring themes of virtue, heroism and the struggle between good and evil. Written in a unique verse form now known as the Spencer Harriet stanza, The poem secured his place among England's greatest writers. Spencer's career also intersected with politics. He served in Ireland as a secretary and later a landholder. Experiences that deeply influenced his work. His writing often reflects the turbulence of the era, including his controversial views on English colonial policy in Ireland. Despite his success, Spencer faced hardships during the nine Years War. His estate in Ireland was attacked, forcing him to flee to London. He died in January of 1599 and was buried in Westminster Abbey near Geoffrey Chaucer. A fitting tribute to a man often called the poet's poet. Edmund Spencer's legacy endures as a master of allegory, language and innovation. His work not only defined the literature of his time, but also laid the groundwork for generations of poets to come. As we noted with Cromwell, being buried in Westminster Abbey doesn't guarantee a final resting place forever. A similar fate befell John Bradshaw, whose tomb was near Cromwell's. Bradshaw was a controversial historical figure, ultimately found himself on the wrong side of history. Bradshaw was an English jurist and a key figure and one of history's most controversial civil trials. Born in 1602 in Cheshire, Bradshaw rose from humble beginnings to play a pivotal role in the English Commonwealth. Educated at local schools and grazing in London, he established himself as a skilled lawyer and had served as the Chief Justice of Chester and North Wales. Bradshaw is most famous for presiding over the trial of King Charles, the first in 1649 as Lord President of the High Court of Justice. He declared the King guilty of tyranny and treason, leading to Charles execution. Bradshaw's decision made him both a symbol of Republicanism and a figure of empathy, particularly among the royalists following the king's death. Bradshaw became the president of the Council of State, overseeing trials and executions of leading royalists and later served as chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. A staunch Republican, Bradshaw opposed Oliver Cromwell's protectorate, refusing to recognise its authority after Cromwell's death in 1658. Bradshaw briefly returned to political prominence, but fell seriously ill and passed away in October 1659. He was buried with honours in Westminster Abbey, and on his deathbed declared he would willingly try the king again if given the chance. However, the return of the monarchy under Charles, the second in 1660. But a grim, post humorous fate. In 1661, Bradshaw's body was exhumed, displayed at Tyburn, and subjected to a symbolic execution alongside Oliver Cromwell and Henry Ireton. His head was placed on a pike outside Westminster Hall, where remained for years. Despite his contentious legacy, Bradshaw's life reflects the turbulence of a revolutionary era and the enduring debates over justice and power. His name is etched in history as a man who defied the monarchy and pursuit of his ideals. Rudyard Kipling, Geoffrey Chaucer and Charles Dickens are among the many literate figures buried within Westminster Abbey's Poets Corner. A section that honors over 100 poets and writers through burials or memorials. But who decide who joins this prestigious group? The Dean of Westminster makes the final decision. Consulting literary experts and basing their choices on Merritt poets Corner also houses the graves of several Abbey canons and deans, as well as notable individuals like Thomas Parr, who reportedly lived to the age of 152 and witnessed the reigns of ten monarchs. While some writers such as Joseph Addison were buried elsewhere in the Abbey and later honored with a memorial in Poets Corner, others were also cremated with their ashes interred. In some cases, like Edward Butler, Lytton, individuals were considered for Poets corner, but ultimately buried elsewhere in the Abbey. Occasionally, memorials have been moved due to structural changes, such as when those of Roe and Gay were relocated to reveal historic wall paintings. The ashes of ruler Kipling were interred in Poet's Corner in 1936, cementing his place among the literary greats, honoring writers and poets corner. It doesn't always happen immediately. Lord Byron, admired for his poetry but notorious for his scandalous lifestyle, died in 1824, but wasn't memorialised until 1969. Similarly, William Shakespeare, buried in Stratford upon Avon in 1616, was not commemorated with a monument in Poet's Corner until 1740. Interestingly, earlier proposals to bury him there were declined. The DS discretion has sometimes been controversial, as in 1796, when Samuel HORSLEY refused to allow actress Kitty Clive to be buried in the Abbey. Westminster Abbey, steeped in centuries of history, has its share of ghostly legends. Among them is the restless spirit of John Bradshaw, a man infamous for his role in the trial and execution of King Charles, the first after his prose humorous hanging and execution from the Abbey, Bradshaw said to haunt the forum where he once kept an office on the anniversary of Charles, the first execution January 30th. Witnesses claimed to see him pacing the gallery, seemingly reliving his notorious day of judgment, unable to move on at the west end of Westminster Abbey like the grave of an unknown warrior. A powerful tribute to British soldiers who perished in World War One with unknown graves. The idea originated with Reverend Dale Railton, who in 1916 saw a simple cross marked an unknown British soldier in a French garden. Inspired, he proposed the concept to Dean Herbert Ryle in 1920, the body chosen from four unknown service men exhumed from the battlefields in France, was placed in a coffin that lined with Oaked from Hampton Court Palace and adorned with a 16th century crusader sword from the Tower of London. On November 11th, 1920, the coffin journeyed from France to London, escorted by the destroyer HMS Verdun, after resting at Victoria Station. It was carried through the crowd lined streets to Westminster Abbey. The burial ceremony attended by King George the fifth. The Royal family and state officials featured prayers, hymns and a solemn two minute silence. The coffin was lowered into a grave. It filled from soil, from the French battlefields and sealed with a black marble slab from Belgium. Inscribed a British warrior who fell in the Great War 1914 to 1918 for king and country. Representing soldiers from all branches of the military and across the British Empire, the unknown Warrior symbolizes the collective sacrifice of those who remain unidentified. The grave at now place of national remembrance continues to honor the fallen and draws millions of visitors each year. Roped off, it's the only grave in the abbey floor that doesn't allow visitors to walk over it. This nod of respect also seems to be upheld by the Grave's Ghost as well. From time to time, when all the tourists have left the Abbey. A ghostly soldier appears, He stands a head bowed, as if he was in deep prayer alongside his tomb for a few minutes. Then, after he completely dissolves in thin air. Perhaps the most famous ghost at the abbey is Father Benedictus, a man believed to have been murdered during a robbery in the 16th century. He's often seen just before closing time, appearing so lifelike that visitors often mistake him for a staff member. One notable encounter occurred in 1900 when a group of tourists reported being guided through the abbey by a monk in traditional robes. After a 20 minute tour, he backed away and vanished into a wall. In 1932, two American tourists lost in the abbey claimed Father Benedict has led them to the exit. When they returned the next day to thank him, they were told no such person worked there. Westminster Abbey has a rich history and solemn atmosphere. Make it a place where the past and present intertwine. But the spectral story is adding a mysterious layer to its legacy. In the spirit of the season, will be closing the gate on Westminster Abbey, following aware of many more graves left to dig into. On another episode to come on the Grimm at a more fitting time. Wishing all a grim tiding this season. The grave gain for Westminster Abbey was a cappuccino from Iris in June in London. For more honorary crimes in the area, please visit the dashcam icon. For now, we're closing the gate on Westminster Abbey. We hope you enjoyed our dig into history. And you did. Subscribe today to join us next time when we open the gate on the Grim.