The Undercroft, built here in about 1070, was possibly the first building to be added to Edward's church. Excavations of its floor, in 1986, provided evidence of Roman and Saxon use of the site. This included shards of Saxon pottery indicating that German wine was consumed here then. In the Abbey the Undercroft was the basement of the monk's dormitory. It possibly served as a calefactorium - a place for keeping warm - which might be likened to a common room for the monks. The Pyx Chamber was created by walling off a part of the Undercroft and it became a Treasury some 100 years later. Early in that use, in 1303, it was burgled when Edward I (1239-1307) was away hammering the Scots. Security was increased by hanging the oak doors that are still in place. The culprits were also hanged. The Chamber is again a Treasury. It contains cases displaying the Church Plate of both the Abbey and St Margaret's Westminster (the parliamentary church). As for most British Church Plate collections there are few pieces that predate the marauders of the Commonwealth and Reformation. An item displayed in a chest dated to the late Middle Ages and designed to store copes is a 17th century, cloth of gold cleric's cope which was found rolled up at the back of a cupboard in 1980. The term 'pyx' refers to the part this Treasury played in the proof of the coinage.
The remainder of the Undercroft houses the Abbey Museum. This museum's displays present two main groups of items. The one consists of items related to coronations. This includes a Coronation Chair made for the joint coronation of William III and Mary II in 1689. They couldn't fit the chair that has otherwise been the seat of royalty which was made to the order of Edward I when he brought back the Stone of Scone from his Scottish expedition in 1296. (That stone was returned to Scotland in 1999 when the powers were devolved from Westminster to the new Scottish Parliament.) There are also items of the regalia used in the ceremony and copies of the crown jewels which are used in the rehearsals and on other state occasions. The second group of items consists of effigies many of them wax works. These have the distinctive characteristic that clearly separates them from Tussaud's items that they are contemporary with the subjects as is a substantial part of the clothing in which they are garbed. The earliest of Edward III (1312-1377) has a face constructed of plaster on linen. Restoration work in 1949-51 showed that the features had been modelled from a death mask which had recorded the distortion of the king's face resulting from a stroke shortly before he died. As well as the effigies there are records of their construction. Thus the pear wood head of Henry VII's consort, Elizabeth of York (1465-1503) was carved by 'Mr Lawrence and Frederick his mate.' The 'Daily Courant' of 06/08/1703 records that: 'On Wednesday last Mrs Goldsmith, the Famous Woman for Waxwork, brought to Westminster Abbey the Effigies of that celebrated Beauty the late Duchess of Richmond, which is said to be the richest figure that was ever set up in King Henry's Chapell.' As well as being robed as she was at the coronation of Queen Anne in 1702 she has at her side her favourite parrot, her companion for 40 years outliving her by a few days. It is said to be the oldest stuffed bird in England but the rules of this competition are obscure. Several of the 18th and 19th century effigies were more Tussaud-like in that they were obtained by men of the Abbey choir who showed these items to members of the public for a fee. Nelson was a particularly desirable addition to this show.

O/S Co-ords:3009.7945
Source(s):

Chapter House...Pyx Chamber...Undercroft