House of Parliament

The House of Parliament is the ideal starting point for your London tour. It’s only natural for first-timers in London to feel overwhelmed by the plethora of attractions & the vast array of historic landmarks they need to see. How can anyone choose between so many important places of interest, architectural masterpieces & renowned museums?

Well, London is not among the cities one can easily squeeze into a short city break. There is however a group of absolute essentials one should follow. Starting with the view of the Gothic Palace of Westminster commonly known as the Houses of Parliament with its iconic Elizabeth tower widely known as Big Ben.

The site of a Saxon church in the 8th century, of a Benedictine Abbey in the 10th & a first in history Royal Palace under the Danish King Knut the Great (1016-1035), Westminster Palace took its name when St.Edward the Confessor (r. 1043-1066) built his Palace & rebuilt the Benedictine Abbey in Romanesque style that became known as the West minster to distinguish it from St.Paul’s Cathedral (the East minster).

The current structure is the outcome of a reconstruction that took place between 1840 & 1847 after a fire that destroyed the Medieval Palace in 1834. Although that was an era when the neoclassical architectural style similar to that of the White House in the United States, was extremely popular, the design was associated with revolution and republicanism while the Gothic style was felt to embody conservative values.

The design submitted by Charles Barry was chosen between 97 different architectural proposals & after a relatively short period of 7 years, the House of Lords first sat in their new purpose-built chamber in 1847. The House of Commons followed in 1852, while the rest of the building was completed by 1860.

Towering over the modest brick-built Georgian terraces of Westminster, the new Palace had an enormous effect on the imagination of the Victorian public. It also had a significant influence on the subsequent design of various public buildings such as town halls, law courts, and schools throughout the country, and internationally.

1100 rooms and 100 staircases. 4.8 km of passageways spread over 4 floors. The lavishly decorated Chamber of the House of Lords & Queen’s Robing Room, the vast chamber of the Royal Gallery, the dedicated to the Tudor history Prince’s Chamber, the imposing lobbies, the astonishing, almost 1000-year-old Westminster Hall & of course the Chamber of the House of Commons, still operating today as the seat of Parliamentary life of the English nation.

All together form an unforgettable ensemble of British history, a majestic building that represents Britain itself in every sense. If we include in that the chance of having a tour inside its most famous of its towers & standing next to Big Ben as it strikes, this can serve as the highlight of one’s visit to the British capital. More