Stephen Hawking's Final Resting Place In Westminster Abbey: Amongst Legends

The final resting place of Professor Stephen Hawking was announced this week in London. The theoretical physicist was announced to be honored at a Service of Thanksgiving later this year (2018) at Westminster Abbey. At that time, Hawking's ashes will be interred at the Abbey near scientific minds of similarly revered status.

"It is entirely fitting that the remains of Professor Stephen Hawking are to be buried in the Abbey, near those of distinguished fellow scientists," said The Dean of Westminster, the Very Reverend Dr John Hall. "Sir Isaac Newton was buried in the Abbey in 1727. Charles Darwin was buried beside Isaac Newton in 1882."

The memorial for Newtown includes a large sculpture depicting several of his most important works. There you'll find depicted his study of light, the mathematical ordering of the universe, and one of the greatest bits of gear of all time – the reflecting telescope. Nearby are the burials and memorials of Sir John Herschel and Charles Robert Darwin.

"Other famous scientists are buried or memorialized nearby, the most recent burials being those of atomic physicists Ernest Rutherford in 1937 and Joseph John Thomson in 1940," said Hall. The grouping of these historically significant scientists is in and near the "Scientists' Corner" between the West and North doors at Westminster Abbey.

For those of you literally at Westminster Abbey right this minute, we've included the official map. You'll find this all at or around number 3 on the map above. That's just between the Quire and the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior. Once we know more precisely where Hawking will be placed, we'll let you know. For now, know that his remains won't literally be in place until late 2018.