The one on your right contains a bell, Great Paul, that by tradition rings for five minutes every day at 1 p.m. This sum statement is different than the churches', and not just in size. So, enter through the front doors. As in many places in London, you will be charged for entry. You're now in a self-contained city, with a huge transient population of people like yourself and a paid staff of 135 priests, stoneworkers and administrators keeping things going.
Few people can resist.
Wren wanted a tall dome visible from miles around, but if you saw the inside of that, it would be like looking up into a tunnel. Around the side aisles are the historical memorials that the English like to crowd into their churches. At the east end is the American Memorial Chapel, containing a handwritten list of 28,000 U.S. service men and women who were stationed in Britain during World War II and lost their lives. You might plan to visit at 5 p.m., when an evensong service begins daily. You can sit in the wooden choir stalls.