Destination: London
Top Ten
1 British Museum
2 Covent Garden Piazza
3 Houses of Parliament (Palace of Westminster)
4 National Gallery
5 Natural History Museum
6 St Paul's Cathedral
7 Science Museum
8 Tower of London
9 Victoria & Albert Museum
10 Westminster Abbey
3 Houses of Parliament (Palace of Westminster)

The home of the Mother of Parliaments and a masterpiece of Victorian Gothic, with over 1,000 rooms and the world's most famous clock tower.

The Houses of Parliament, seat of British government, dates back to c1050, when William the Conqueror built his Palace of Westminster on this site. It evolved into a parliament around the mid-13th century and continued to be used as a royal palace until 1512, when Henry VIII moved his court to Whitehall. In 1834 a disastrous fire burned everything above ground (with the exception of Westminster Hall, the cloisters and the Jewel Tower), and so construction began of the building that you see today. The principal architect was Charles Barry, though the flamboyant ubiquitous Gothic decorative touches are the work of his assistant, Augustus Pugin. By 1860, some 20 years later than planned and around £1.4 million over budget, it was virtually complete. The best-known part of the Houses is the clock tower, referred to as Big Ben - though to be precise this is the name of the great 13-ton bell which chimes every hour. After dark a light above the clock face indicates when Parliament is 'sitting' (when it is in session).

The modern Houses of Parliament divide principally into two debating chambers. The House of Commons comprises Members of Parliament (MPs) who are the elected representatives of the British people. Their functions are legislation and (as opposition) government scrutiny. The non-elected House of Lords is an apolitical body of the great and good, who examine proposed legislation from the Commons and also act as the highest Appeal Court in the land.



Address: Public entrance on St Margaret Street
Phone: Information Office (020) 7219 4272 (Commons), (020) 7219 3107 (Lords) WEBSITE: www.parliament.uk
Open: The public may attend debates in both Houses.
Bus: 3, 11, 12, 24, 77a, 211
Metro: Westminster
Train: Waterloo
Accessible: For access Phone: (020) 7219 3700
Admission: Free
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