Houses of Parliament London

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The Houses of Parliament

'The Mother of all Parliaments' more properly called the Palace of Westminster. The original palace dating back to the times of Edward The Confessor was burnt down in 1834, leaving only Westminster Hall and one of the Towers the Jewel Tower remaining. Westminster Hall itself is a particularly fine example of a medieval hall, over 240 feet long, and a superb hammer beam roof, accessible to the Public only with Guided Tours. Did you know that the trial of the Gunpowder Plot conspirators was held in the Hall in 1606?

You may watch the debates when the Houses are sitting from the Public Galleries. Expect a long wait as you queue outside St Stephens Entrance. The liveliest debates (advance tickets required) are during Prime Ministers Question Time. To stand in the Central Lobby, with its many corridors leading off to both Chambers of the House, before being escorted up to the Public galleries is an unforgettable experience. The Gothic masterpiece that are the present Houses of Parliament, were constructed between 1840 and 1888. A direct hit by a World War II bomb destroyed the House of Commons Chamber in 1941, and what you can see today was rebuilt after the War.

Big Ben, the 320 foot high Clock Tower is named after the largest bell, weighing over 13 tons. North of the Palace is Westminster Abbey, dating from the 13th century, burial place of Edward The Confessor, holding the tombs of nearly all the Kings and Queens of England. Big Ben

westminster bridge

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