London - Houses of Parliament

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Houses of Parliament Description

The Houses of Parliament are officially known as the Palace of Westminster, recalling the fact that they occupy the site of a former royal palace, originally built by Edward the Confessor and enlarged by William the Conqueror and William Rufus. Westminster Hall was built by William Rufus (1097-99). The whole palace was destroyed by a catastrophic fire in 1512, with the exception of Westminster Hall, the 14th century St Stephen's Chapel and the Crypt. Until 1529, when Henry VIII acquired the neighboring Whitehall Palace, the Palace of Westminster was a royal residence. In 1547 it became the seat of Parliament, the House of Commons meeting in St Stephen's Chapel and the House of Lords in a hall at the south end of Old Palace Yard. In 1605 a

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Hobbies & Activities category: Architecture - Victorian; Architecture - Gothic; Government or institution building; Historic site; Architecture - Medieval

Address

House of Commons Public Information Office
London SW1A 0AA
United Kingdom

http://www.parliament.uk

Tips

Admission times for the House of Lords are: Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday from 2:30 p.m. (Thursday also from 3 p.m.); Friday from 11am. Admission times for the House of Commons are: Monday-Thursday from 4:30 p.m.; Friday from 9:30am. Visitors obtain a permit for admission at the Admission Order Office in St Stephen's Hall and wait there to be conducted to the Strangers' Gallery of the respective House.
The Palace of Westminster may be viewed only by prior appointment. United Kingdom residents should contact their local Member of Parliament; visitors from overseas should apply in writing to the Public Information Office.

Transit

Underground: Westminster; Buses: 3, 11, 12, 24, 29, 53, 70, 77, 77a.

Do-It-Yourself Tours