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Parliament. The Palace of Westminster

Westminster is one of the centers of political life in the United Kingdom and a household name for the British government system. Palace of Westminster has been renamed Parliament House since 1970 and has been part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987. One of the palace towers, often named after its main bell, Big Ben, is an iconic landmark of London and the United Kingdom as a whole, one of the most popular tourist attractions in the city, and an emblem of parliamentary democracy.

Modern appointment and management

The entire complex is the seat of the bicameral Parliament of Great Britain. The building is located on the north side of the Thames in Westminster, central London. The castle takes its name from the neighboring Westminster Abbey. The old medieval building was the residence and place of residence of the English kings. The Palace of Westminster has always belonged to the monarch by right of the crown and still retains its original status as a royal residence for ceremonial purposes. But the monarch does not appear here for long, and only on special occasions. The building is governed by committees from each parliamentary chamber, with reporting to the Lord Speaker.

old palace

The first royal castle has risen in this area since the 11th century and was the residence of sovereigns, until in 1512 a fire destroyed most of the complex. After that incident, Westminster serves as the meeting place of the English Parliament, which has sat there since the 13th century. Also the halls of the Palace of Westminster in London were used as the seat of the Royal Courts of Justice. The newly rebuilt premises were destroyed by the largest fire that hit the palace in 1834. Very few medieval buildings remained after that: Westminster Hall, dating from the construction of 1097; chapels of st. Stephen and St. Mary Undercroft, as well as the three-story Jewel Tower located separately.

New complex

In the competition held in 1836 for the reconstruction of the palace, preference was given to the architect Charles Barry. He proposed to create the appearance of a new building in the neo-Gothic style with a perpendicular configuration inherent in English buildings of the 14th-16th centuries. The remains of the old palace, with the exception of the Tower of Jewels, were organically incorporated into the new, much larger complex. It contains more than 1,100 rooms with a total area of ​​112,476 m 2 , located symmetrically around two rows of courtyards, and the facade on the Thames side reaches 300 meters. The authoritative Gothic architect Augustus Northmore Pugin collaborated with Charles Barry, who also designed the palace interior.

The construction of the Palace of Westminster of Great Britain began in 1840 and continued for 30 years with long delays and significant cost overruns. During construction, both leading architects died. Intermittent interior work also continued into the 20th century. After the Second World War, major repairs were carried out, including the reconstruction of the House of Commons, which was damaged after the 1941 bombing.

The unique appearance of the modern structure is created by the three main towers, which, according to the architectural design of Charles Barry and Northmore Pugin, dominate the building and are the most memorable elements of the complex.

The southwest corner of the Palace is occupied by the Victoria Tower, the highest (98.5 m) tower of the Palace of Westminster. The large square structure as a symbol of the legislature, with a royal entrance to the palace and a fireproof vault for the archives of Parliament, was an iconic part of Barry's competition design. Initially, the architect planned to call the building the Royal Tower and redid the drawings several times. With each change in design, the structure's intended height gradually increased, and upon its completion in 1858, it was the tallest secular building in the world.

The tower is equipped with the Sovereign's Entrance - an arched castle gate designed for the arrival at the Westminster Palace of the monarch, who annually opens Parliament or heads other state events. The high 15-meter arch is richly decorated with sculptures, including statues of Saints George, Andrew, Patrick, as well as Queen Victoria herself. The Victoria Tower's main building houses three million documents from the Parliamentary Archives, stored on 8.8 kilometers of steel shelving located on 12 floors of the Victoria Tower. It contains the master copies of all Acts of Parliament since 1497 and important manuscripts such as the original Bill of Rights or the death warrant of King Charles I. At the top of the pyramidal cast-iron roof is a 22-meter flagship spire, on which the Royal Standard develops during the presence of the sovereign in the palace . On all other days, the Flag of the Union is raised on the flagpole.

Elizabeth Tower

At the northern end of the palace rises Elizabeth Tower - the most popular and iconic building in London, better known around the world as Big Ben. The 96-meter-high structure is not much shorter than the Victoria Tower, but much sleeker and narrower. Designed in the Neo-Gothic style by the architect Pugin, the structure was erected after the death of its author. Until 2012, the building was known as the Clock Tower, and the current name was given to it in honor of the “diamond” 60th anniversary of the reign of Elizabeth II. The whole structure looks elegant and graceful.

Elizabeth Tower houses the Great Clock of the Palace of Westminster, built by John Dent and designed by amateur watchmaker Lord Edmund Denison. Put into operation since 1859, the mechanism impresses with its accuracy, which is considered impossible for a watch of the 19th century. The time is indicated by a 4.3-meter hour hand and a 2.7-meter minute hand on four 7-meter milk glass discs, which are backlit at night. BBC company in documentary about the Victoria Tower compared the clock face to a giant rose, the petals of which are edged with gold.

Tower bells and lantern

Five bells hang above the clock in the bell tower. Four of them strike every quarter of the hour marked by the Westminster chimes. The largest, the Great Bell of Westminster, commonly referred to as Big Ben, rings every hour. The first bell with this name broke during testing and was recast. The current Big Ben has also acquired a crack over time, which gives the fight its characteristic sound. Weighing 13.8 tons, this bell is the third largest in the UK.

At the top of the Elizabeth Tower is Ayrton Light - Ayrton's lantern, named after the famous English politician. The purpose of the flashlight is interesting facts Palace of Westminster. It shines during the evening work of the Parliamentary Chamber and was installed in 1885 at the request of Queen Victoria so that she could observe the time of the Legislative Assembly from Buckingham Palace.

central tower

In the middle of the complex, directly above the Central Lobby, rises an octagonal tower, the shortest of the three. It was added at the urging of Dr. David Reed, who was in charge of ventilating the new Houses of Parliament, and was designed to extract the smoke from the palace's 400 fireplaces. However, since the structure itself provided an opportunity to improve the exterior design of the palace, Barry chose a spire shape for it to balance the massive side towers. As a result, the building did not fulfill its purpose at all, but became notable as the first time that mechanical services had a real impact on architectural design.

Excursions

If the exterior of the Houses of Parliament, especially Big Ben, is one of London's most popular attractions, then a clear view inside the Palace of Westminster is not available. Nevertheless, there are several options for visiting the premises, but even then access to the halls will remain very limited.

Residents of the UK can get a ticket from the MP representing their region and take a seat in the Observation Gallery of the House of Commons. Or one of the Lords has the right to grant a pass for the presence of a visitor in the gallery of the House of Lords. Citizens of the United Kingdom or British educational institutions may request a Member of Parliament or Lord to give a tour of the premises of the Palace of Westminster during sessions. But still, only a very small part of the palace interior can be visited, and this system is temporarily suspended for foreigners.

You can take advantage of excursions, open to all comers, during the two summer months when Parliament is not in session and is on vacation. But a place for such a visit has to be booked in advance, since the number of people who wish significantly exceeds the number of places in excursion groups.

Built in neo-Gothic style, it stretches along the banks of the Thames for three kilometers. (By this, he reminded me of one of the most famous palaces in Russia - the Winter Palace)

Many people can recognize this beautiful palace by one of its towers - the famous Big Ben, as everyone calls it.

It's funny, but many people, having heard "Westminster Palace", do not immediately understand what it is about. And no wonder - he is known to everyone as London Parliament building.

It is here that both houses of the British government are located, and here her fate is decided.

History of the Palace of Westminster

The palace was built in the distant 11th century for King Edward, who came to the throne in 1042, and was completed and expanded for several centuries.

Thus, the famous Westminster Hall - the heart of the palace and the most elegant European hall - was built half a century later for William Rufus. Two centuries later, Henry III added a new chamber to the hall. And on January 20, 1265, a meeting of the first English Parliament took place in it. This first parliament appointed (and then elected) persons from the upper strata of the population, the clergy and the aristocracy.

Parliament shared its seat with the royal for another century, until the royal couple decided to move to Whitehall in 1547, and the Parliament of London became the sole owner of the Palace of Westminster.

The palace continued to deteriorate until ... there was a fire in 1834. Fortunately, Westminster Hall and the crypts survived, but the building's main ensemble was badly damaged. The Parliament decided to restore its beloved and now familiar residence, but at the same time make a few adjustments.

For more than thirty years, work has been carried out to restore this masterpiece of architecture designed by Charles Barry, but it was worth it - now we can admire a beautiful example of a neo-Gothic palace.

How to get to the London Houses of Parliament

Tourists have two options to visit the Houses of Parliament, while residents of the UK are much easier - any Briton can apply to Parliament with a question, as well as visit the palace with a representative of their region. And most importantly, they can visit Big Ben and see the tower from the inside! Envy-envy-envy.

It would be nice to see this tower from the inside ...

Since we are not British citizens, we have much less opportunities.

  • You can watch the debates of the Parliament for free from the guest gallery.
  • Buy a guided audio tour to the Parliament or a guided tour.

Free debates in Parliament

Anyone can enter the debate simply by standing in line for the event. Debates are held daily from Monday to Thursday, as well as during Parliament on Friday.

Debates are different. Yes, to the debate. "Question Time" only UK residents who have a ticket issued to them by their regional representative are admitted. The same Britons who do not have a ticket, as well as tourists, can get into this debate if there is room.

On other debates Registration is not required, but you will have to defend a rather big queue. The wait usually takes one to two hours.

Schedule of Parliament meetings

Excursion to the Parliament

To the joy of our compatriots who do not know English language and those who do not want to overpay for an individual tour in some agency (if any) - excursions to the Parliament are also held in Russian.

Audio tours are held from 9.20 to 16.30 on Saturdays, from 13.20 to 17.30 on Mondays and from 9.20 to 17.30 from Tuesday to Friday (from July 31 to August 29, from September 12 to October 19 - tours until 16.30) every 15 minutes. Duration - 1 hour.

Tours in English with a guide are held from 9.00 to 16.15 (except Monday, on Monday they start at 13.20) and start every 15-20 minutes.

Tours in other languages held at a certain time 2-3 times a day.

  • In French at 10.00, 12.20 and 15.00
  • In German at 10.20, 12.50 and 15.20
  • In Italian at 10.40, 13.00 and 15.40
  • In Spanish 11.00, 13.20 and 16.00
  • In Russian at 13.40 and 16.15

By the way, there is another offer for tourists - "Afternoon tea". Those. you can drink tea right in the Parliament building! This pleasure costs a lot - £ 29.00 excluding the cost of a ticket for an excursion.

"Afternoon tea" is held at 13.30 and 15.15. The audio tour should be taken at least an hour and a half before this time, and the guided tour should be taken two hours in advance. Who cares ... but it seems to me it's a waste.

Cost of visiting the Parliament building

Tickets for individual excursions can be bought at, as well as ordered by phone.

Group tours - only by phone +44 161 425 8677

It is forbidden to take pictures inside. The rules for visiting the Parliament and its news can be found on the official website - http://www.parliament.uk/visiting/

Getting into the Houses of Parliament is like touching the history and government of Great Britain. Of course, you will not be allowed to see the entire Palace of Westminster. You can only go along a clearly defined route with a visit to several rooms:

  • Queen's Robing Room
  • Royal Gallery
  • Prince's Chamber
  • House of Commons (Commons Chamber)
  • House of Lords (Lords Chamber)
  • Glossary (Moses Room)
  • Central Lobby
  • Members' Lobby
  • Lobby "for" (Aye Lobby)
  • St. Stephen's Hall
  • Westminster Hall

How to get to the Palace of Westminster?

Metro station: Westminster.

Bus: anyone stopping by Parliament Square

On this you can see all the entrances to the Palace of Westminster, and how to get to it.

In official documents, the Houses of Parliament is still referred to as the "Palace of Westminster" or "New Palace of Westminster" and has the status of a royal palace.
When the court left the Palace of Westminster, which housed the Royal Court from the time of Edward the Confessor until the reign of Henry III, and moved to Whitehall Palace, two most important inhabitants remained in Westminster - parliament and the judiciary.


The courts held their meetings in Westminster Hall, and Parliament had to huddle in two rooms: the House of Commons occupied the chapel of St. Stephen, and the House of Lords - the former premises of the Court of Motions, dissolved in 1641.
Old Westminster Palace(in the background - Westminster Abbey) from the side of the River Thames.

From the end of the eighteenth century until the accession of William IV, there was talk that Parliament needed a new building; Sir John Soane, the architect of the Bank of England building, presented his project for discussion, other architects followed his example, but the conversations turned out to be in vain.

But one night in 1834, the problem was resolved in just a few hours. Someone sent to burn the wooden plates from which the treasury notes were printed, overdid it a little, keeping the fire going; the flames fanned by a sharp October wind engulfed the park and ancient buildings in the twinkling of an eye, from which soon only smoking firebrands remained.

Fire brigades rushed to the scene of the fire, but the flames were too strong for them to cope with it. However, the descendants are still indebted to the valiant London firefighters who saved Westminster Hall that terrible night.

When the young Victoria ascended the throne, she was surprised to find that her Parliament had no home. It took several years to clear the area after the fire and to hold a competition among architectural designs; There was only one condition for the contestants - the new building should be in the Gothic or Elizabethan style.

victoria tower(view from the cloister of Westminster Abbey).

Since the construction of St. Paul's Cathedral in England, no larger and more magnificent building has been erected; its extended river façade, with the elegant Victoria Tower above the main building at one end and the Clock Tower at the other, is an architectural masterpiece immediately recognized worldwide as 'quintessentially London'.

No other view of London, even with St. Paul's Cathedral, has been so often depicted on the canvases of foreign artists. Preference was given to the design of Charles Barry.

Square on Parliament Square, Parliament House and Westminster Hall (left), Victoria Tower (right).

Clock tower, also known as Big Ben, was officially renamed Elizabeth Tower in honor of the reigning Queen of Great Britain Elizabeth II. Big Ben, by the way, is not a clock, but a large bell, named after Sir Benjamin Hall, who served as the chief commissioner for public works in those years when the bells were hung on the tower. Its special, low and rolling rumble (associated, as they say, with a crack in the metal) penetrates literally into every corner of the globe.

A narrow spiral staircase of three hundred and seventy-four steps leads up; if the bells begin to ring as they rise, the stone slabs tremble.

westminster hall- what remains of the old Palace of Westminster.

It is believed that the colossal oaks from which this majestic ceiling is made, sprouted from acorns no later than the sixth century. If this is true, then the ceiling of Westminster Hall is one of the oldest and most respected architectural details not only in England, but throughout the world.

Acorns sprouted in England, shrouded in the mist of the Dark Ages. It was the time of Celtic saints and tiny monasteries like Iona and Lindisfarne, the time of Viking gangs fighting their way to the ruins of ancient Roman settlements; this was England, in which the ringing of a bell calling to prayer and the cry of a seagull were often drowned out by the cries of the rabble in horned helmets, who sailed to rob and kill, fill longships with booty and return home across the North Sea.

For centuries, the Saxons and Normans drove deer, hunted wild boars and wolves on the very spot where Westminster Hall now rises; here they made love and had feasts. Meanwhile, the oaks grew, becoming thicker in girth and casting an ever denser shadow, and the world around was changing, the Middle Ages came, and in 1397 the gamekeepers of King Richard II came here, looking for the oldest oaks in Sussex, in order to restore the roof of the royal hall in Westminster . They cut down mighty trees - the very trees that were called old already in the reign of Alfred the Great (the Anglo-Saxon king).

Parliament Square- a large square in the center of Westminster, created in 1868 in order to streamline traffic near the Palace of Westminster. Parliament Square has a symbolic layout and represents all branches of government. On the east side, the legislative power is represented by the Houses of Parliament (Westminster Palace), on the northern side, Whitehall serves as the embodiment of the executive power, on the western side, the judicial power is personified by the building of the Supreme Court, and on the south, Westminster Abbey is the seat of spiritual power.

Methodist Central Hall- Westminster Central Hall or Methodist Central Hall in Parliament Square - a public building intended for holding meetings of the Methodist Church. It was built in 1912 in the French Renaissance style. The Great Hall is crowned with a huge dome; this room is considered the second largest in the world in terms of capacity; at the same time, 2352 people can be in it.

Building to the right of Westminster Abbey.

Buckingham House- the official London residence of the British monarchs - became the royal palace, so to speak, involuntarily; this is a perfect illustration of the typical English reluctance to build palaces on a grand scale.

The area on which Buckingham Palace stands was occupied by mulberry plantations during the reign of James I; Yakov believed that sericulture "is able to save the people from idleness and the vices generated by it." However, this theory died with Jacob, and a roadside inn appeared on the site of the plantation, to which the gentlemen of Charles II brought their ladies and treated them to mulberry pies.
In the etchings of the time of Queen Anne we see a pretty square house of red brick in the Dutch style; two semicircular colonnades connect it with the stables and outbuildings. In front of the house there is a wide courtyard with a fountain, an iron fence and a wrought iron gate, decorated with the crown and coat of arms of the Duke of Buckingham - the garter and St. George.

Looking out of the upstairs windows, the duke saw the avenue of elms and lindens that is now the Mall. In the distance rose the dome of St. Paul's, surrounded by the spiers of the churches of the City, and a little closer and to the right, beyond the meadows and the park, could be seen the bell tower of Westminster. When looking at the Mall, the duke had a view of a long canal and a duck pool, dug out by order of Charles II; today it is a lake in St. James Park.

Speaking about the new house in a letter to a friend, the duke said that under the very windows there was a patch of forest where thrushes and nightingales are found. Immediately after the coronation, Victoria moved to this palace, and she also rebuilt it; The Queen's first directive was to install a grand throne at Buckingham Palace.

The crowd waiting for the rehearsal of the parade dedicated to the 60th anniversary of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.

Now let's just walk around London. As I mentioned before, until you are near a famous landmark, you will not realize that you are in London. This is a very green city.

Although, no doubt, the spirit of a kind of aristocracy reigns here, that you still won’t be deceived :)

The whole city (as well as all other cities in Great Britain) is decorated with flags dedicated to the anniversary of the Queen's coronation.

One evening we went in search of King's Cross station, from which Harry Potter left for Hogwarts from the magical platform 9¾. There is a more remarkable building near this station st pancras station(Station of St. Pankratius).

Architecturally, the station consists of the main building - a landing stage, enclosed in the facades of the neo-Gothic building "Midland Grand Hotel" (now the Renaissance Hotel).

But here we go to Kings Cross station(King's Cross - "Crossroads of Kings").

On the top floor of the station, under the station clock, there is a giant bronze sculpture of a young couple "Meeting Point".

Rebuilt in 1840 after being destroyed in the Middle Ages, the Palace of Westminster today serves as an outstanding example of neo-Gothic architecture. The new Palace of Westminster is one of the sights of the English capital. It is located in the heart of London on the banks of the Thames and is its architectural center.

Location of the Palace of Westminster

The writer HG Wells wrote in 1911: "For me, London is the most interesting, the most beautiful, the most wonderful city in the world." Many who have ever visited the capital agree with him. Today's London is a major international center, the area of ​​the city is about 625 sq. miles.

In the place of Westminster in ancient times it was impassable. However, the swamp was dried up, and a royal palace was erected in its place. The palace was close to the Thames, next to Westminster Abbey, a few miles from the City.

History of the Palace of Westminster

The Palace of Westminster, one of the most famous buildings in the world, houses Parliament: the House of Lords and the House of Commons.

The first palace was built for King Edward the Confessor, who came to the throne in 1042. Forty-five years later, for William Rufus, the son of William the Confessor, Westminster Hall was built - the most elegant hall in the city, where a feast was held in 1099. In the 13th century, Henry III added a painted chamber, and during his reign the first parliament was convened (from the French verb "parler" - to speak).

January 20, 1265 at the Palace of Westminster met the first English Parliament, convened by Simon de Montfort Earl of Leicester. In order to give the established order the appearance of legality, Montfort put forward the initiative to create a council in which, along with the rest, the third estate would be represented. Collected on January 20, 1265, this council very quickly developed into a permanent body, called the Parliament.

After 30 years, the parliament became more democratic, since representatives were no longer appointed, but elected. By 1550, members of the House of Commons and the House of Lords were meeting separately with members of Parliament in the elegant chapel of St. Stephen.

The Palace of Westminster was destroyed by fire in 1834. To restore this masterpiece of architecture, a special commission was created, and soon a competition was announced for the development of the project, in which about a hundred people took part. As a result, ninety-seven options were considered, of which the project of Charles Barry (1795-1860) was recognized as the best. Restoration was entrusted to him, which he did in a magnificent Gothic style with the help of Augustus Pugin, who completed the picturesque ornamental work. St. Stephen's Chapel was renamed St. Stephen's Hall. It is a wide corridor lined with paintings, marble sculptures, and a lagoon marker where the speaker's chair used to be.

The preparatory work dragged on for 3 years - it took to build terraces on the banks of the Thames. Only in 1840 did work begin on the Parliament building itself. The construction of the palace was completed in 1888.

The crypt and Westminster Hall survived, but the adjacent House of Commons was again destroyed during World War II due to heavy bombing by the German army. The new reconstruction was led by Gil Gilbert Scott. Restoration was a difficult and costly process, as the highest quality timber was required. The palace was restored by 1950.

Features of the architecture and interior of the Palace of Westminster

The unusual layout and, as a result, the unparalleled volumetric and spatial composition of the palace are explained not only by the complex structure of the government institution, but also by the inclusion in the total volume of the building of a national relic - Westminster Hall - a masterpiece of English Gothic of the 11th-14th centuries and part of the walls heavily damaged by the fire of the medieval chapel of St. Stephen.

The total area of ​​​​the entire area occupied by the palace is 3.2 hectares. Spread along the Thames for 300 meters, the complex includes more than 1,100 rooms, 100 stairs, and connects it all with a corridor, whose length is almost 3 kilometers. In addition to various buildings in the palace itself, there are 11 more courtyards.

The palace is decorated very skillfully: outwardly, despite its large size, it does not seem bulky. The decoration of the palace are two main towers - a tower with a height of 102 meters and a clock tower of St. Stephen with a height of 98 meters. The clock on the latter has four dials with a diameter of 9 meters each. The well-known astronomer Erie supervised the creation of these. Time is beaten off by the hour bell, which weighs almost 14 tons. This is the famous Big Ben. They are named after Benjamin Hall, who was Minister of Public Works. It was he who supervised the setting of the clock. Big Ben (big Benn) was nicknamed by the people for his rather big weight. At first, the bell was called Big Ben, then the clock, and now the whole tower, which has become the hallmark of London, is called so.

The Royal Passage is located in the Victoria Tower. Through it, on solemn occasions, the royal cortege moved.

A whole complex of premises adjoins the House of Lords. In ancient times, the monarch climbed the Royal Stairs to the Norman portico and from there went to the hall of the Royal mantle. The Hall of the Royal Robe is still adorned with paintings by William Dick depicting scenes from the stories of King Arthur. The Royal Gallery has statues of rulers, ranging from King Alfred the Great to the sculpture of Queen Anne. From the Royal Gallery, the monarch passed into the Prince's room with a statue of Queen Victoria located in it, and then solemnly entered the Lord's chamber.

The most richly decorated room in the Palace of Westminster is the House of Lords. Among the decorative elements are wood and stone carvings, many paintings and frescoes painted by many great masters. The ceiling is covered with various heraldic emblems. Colored stained-glass windows are inserted into the windows.

The House of Lords and the House of Commons are connected by several halls. The Hall of the Peers is decorated with the coats of arms of six royal dynasties. Through the Hall of Peers one can get into the Central Hall, which has an octagonal shape. As in the Royal Gallery, there are sculptural portraits of the royal family. The Commons Corridor leads into the Hall of Commons, behind which is the House of Commons. It is less pompously decorated than the House of Lords. The walls are finished with red oak, on the sides there are balconies for the press and spectators. The deputies sit on the central benches upholstered in green leather. Traditionally, representatives of the ruling party sit on the right, and the opposition on the left. Not far from the entrance is the speaker's chair, surrounded by bars.

In the center of the palace is the oldest part - Westminster Hall. It was built in 1097. Many times it was destroyed, but restored the same as it was from ancient times. The dimensions of the hall are quite impressive: length - 88 meters, width - 28 meters, height - 21 meters. Westminster Hall is connected to both chambers through long corridors.

In addition to the main halls, the palace has many rooms for commissions and committees.

Until recently, the Palace of Westminster was only a government residence, but since 2004 it has been operating as a museum. Tours are organized during the summer holidays of the English Parliament - from August 7 to September 16. Tourists begin their inspection of the palace from the royal dressing room, the royal gallery, then enter the debate chambers and end the tour in the oldest part of the palace - Westminster Hall, built in the 11th century. Here, visitors can see an exhibition on the history of parliamentary democracy in England and look into the gift shop.

It is the hallmark of the capital of Great Britain and the seat of its parliament, consisting of the House of Lords and the House of Commons.

The architectural complex, also known as the Parliament, is located in the Westminster area. This included masterpiece of architecture includes historical London Attractions, the main of which are Westminster Hall and the Big Ben and Victoria towers.

Palace of Westminster construction history

The first Palace of Westminster, according to surviving documents, was built in an uninhabited and marshy area in 1042. It was erected by order of the rulers of the kingdom instead of the Tower, which, with the expansion of the city, in some incredible way ended up in the most impoverished quarter of the capital.

One has only to imagine what the authorities of the capital experienced among the poor, who still "smelled badly." This state of affairs simply forced the main building of the city to be moved away from the impoverished "rabble" of London. How could monarchs rule a country in such a terrible place? A new residence in a swampy area, from the windows of which the position in which England found itself in those distant times was not so clearly visible, was almost completely completed by 1042.

The Palace of Westminster was constantly growing: already 45 years after the completion of its construction, it was decided to attach to the son of the legendary William the Conqueror architectural structure Westminster Hall. The son of the great commander, who won many victories over his enemies in his lifetime, was called William the Red II.

It was this man who decided that the palace must necessarily have the most luxurious hall in which it would not be a shame to arrange magnificent receptions and even conduct coronation ceremonies in front of representatives of other countries. In addition to these ceremonies, by order of William the Red II, Westminster Hall began to constantly hold meetings of the highest judicial authority in England - the Supreme Court of the country.


The Palace of Westminster is interesting not only for its architecture. In the distant 13th century, a very important document was signed here, which played a key role in the formation of the political structure of England. It is under this document that many prestigious colleges currently teach students what a modern, secure, democratic state should look like and how to get rid of bureaucracy and tyranny. It was in the 13th century that King John of England, under pressure from the public, signed a decree that went down in history as the Magna Carta.

Naturally, there was no talk of any anarchy in it. All the "liberties" consisted in the fact that the king was deprived of the right to single-handedly rule the country: since the 13th century, many important decisions regarding foreign and domestic policy were made by the parliament, which was elected by the people. Monarchs have become only a kind of symbol of the country, something like a coat of arms or a flag.

Even taxes were introduced and calculated by the parliament, which was just the same salvation for the impoverished population of the country. For this reason, the Palace of Westminster can be considered not only the “visiting card” of London, its main attraction, a monument of architecture and history, but also a symbol of the constitutional parliamentary monarchy.

It is possible to talk about the construction of the Palace of Westminster and its expansion for an infinitely long time: the people constantly supported the improvements of the building, because the parliament sat there, which at one time saved it from the arbitrariness of the monarchs. However, in 1834, almost the entire Palace of Westminster, built in 1042, burned to the ground. From the former majestic building where the Parliament of England met, two buildings remained: the same Westminster Hall and the tower of jewels.

Restoring the building for parliament was an urgent matter: immediately after the fire, the government of England announced a competition for best plan new Palace of Westminster. It was won without much difficulty by Charles Barry, who presented a grandiose and unique project of its kind.

True, Barry was well aware that it was impossible for him to cope with all the work alone, so he enlists the cooperation of Augustus Welby Pugin, with whom he builds the very Palace of Westminster, the view of which any tourist visiting the capital of England can enjoy today.


According to the plan of Charles Barry, a new building for the parliament was decided to be built in neo-Gothic (new Gothic style). To say that the construction of the Palace of Westminster took place in record time and "without a hitch" would not be true. There were difficulties, and they constantly arose before the architects and the huge number of workers involved in the construction of the facility. The construction site had to be prepared for more than three years, and the construction of the Palace of Westminster took just over 48 years (from 1840 to 1888).

Over such a long period of time, not only the Palace of Westminster was rebuilt, but also the Tower of St. Stephen, which can be found in our time on a huge number of posters, calendars and other printed matter - the very famous and legendary Big Ben, which, of course, knows almost every civilized inhabitant of our planet.

St Stephen's Tower or Big Ben


Despite the fact that the Palace of Westminster and Big Ben were built relatively recently, there is no exact evidence of where the name of St. Stephen's Tower "Big Ben" came from. There are only versions, and versions, as you know, are quite easy to refute.

Some historians claim that Benjamin Hall, who was affectionately called Ben, who was in charge of the construction of the Palace of Westminster and St. Stephen's Tower, was of enormous growth. Others claim that Big Ben got its "nickname" in honor of the popular boxer. However, the most interesting and, at the same time, the most confusing version says that the tower was named after one representative of the parliament. His name was also Benjamin and his last name was Hall. He went to the podium and began to explain for a long time how to call the clock tower.

He spoke for so long that he himself became confused in historical facts, and no one listened to his mumbling. Finally, after an hour and a half, he ended his tirade, which had no meaning as such. Parliament breathed a sigh of relief and one of its members asked the speaker a question: "So what do you propose in the end?". Benjamin Hall was confused, and someone shouted: "Let's name the tower after this long and tedious speech - Big Ben!" The joke was accepted with a bang and the tower got its name. Which of these three versions to believe, everyone decides for himself. It is worth repeating, not a single official evidence in favor of this or that opinion has been found today.

Before the clock was installed on the tower of St. Stephen, quite a long time passed. The delays were connected with the requirements of the London authorities. The clock should lag behind or advance no more than 1 second per day. All the most respected watchmakers simply laughed at such a condition: 19th century technology simply did not allow the creation of a giant clock that had to be placed on a high tower and run with extreme accuracy.

Only Edmund Beckett Denison took up the development of the plan, who managed to fulfill all the requirements in five years. The clockwork of Big Ben did not lag behind by more than a second a day. By the way, the weight of the watch designed by Edmund Beckett Denison is just over 5,000 kilograms.

The height of the Tower of St. Stephen or Big Ben is almost 96 and a half meters. Many may think that this is the tallest building in the architectural ensemble called the Palace of Westminster. However, this opinion is far from the truth, the tallest tower of the palace is the Victoria Tower, its height is 102 meters. In some tourist brochures, another figure is indicated - 98.4 meters, but it has nothing to do with reality.

The tower, named after Victoria, was built so huge with only one purpose, to fit in it the entire archive of documents considered by the Parliament of England. Big Ben and the Victoria Tower, however, like other rooms, are made entirely of refractory materials: the 1834 fire at the Palace of Westminster has forever remained in the memory of Londoners.

During World War II, the Palace of Westminster in London became a prime target for Nazi pilots. To hit him with a bomb was an honor for every Luftwaffe ace. For this reason, the main symbol of London, where Parliament met and where Prime Minister Winston Churchill delivered his fiery speeches, was seriously damaged. The Palace of Westminster, which, as mentioned above, is a symbol of the constitutional parliamentary monarchy, was completely reconstructed in 1950.

It cannot be said that the building was only slightly damaged, on the contrary, the damage to the Palace of Westminster was serious: it was possible to revive it completely in 5 years only thanks to the huge budget and the heroism of the English workers. Alas, the bombs also hit the legendary Big Ben. The clock mechanism "gave a serious failure", it began to lag behind by as much as 2 seconds a day. The British eliminated the problem quite quickly and simply: they only did that they attached a coin to a huge pendulum. The weight of just one penny affected Big Ben's clock, and it again ticked with extreme precision.

Architecture and sights of the Palace of Westminster

The Palace of Westminster stretches far along the banks of the Thames and covers an area of ​​more than three hectares. Despite its size, the Parliament building does not overwhelm with its immensity, but on the contrary, caresses the eye with the lightness and beauty of its majestic romantic forms, although it has elements of late Gothic and some asymmetry of the silhouette and individual details.

Outside, it is crowned with innumerable small turrets, and its walls are decorated with lancet windows, lovely rosettes, and lacework of stone trimming of cornices and windows. The Parliament is especially beautiful in the evenings, when its towers and spiers, flooded with spotlights, stand out like a fantastic crown in the dark sky.

11 courtyards, each of which is unique, just over 100 staircases, corridors with a total length of more than five kilometers and 1,200 rooms - where else in the world can you find such scale and splendor? The area of ​​the palace is huge, but thanks to the Neo-Gothic style, it does not seem like a massive bulk, on the contrary, it creates the impression of “lightness” and fits organically into modern London. Although, it would be more correct to say that modern London is in harmony with the Palace of Westminster.

Parliament, which is perhaps the most famous in the whole world, consists of two houses: the House of Commons and the House of Lords. They are located at different ends of the building and are interconnected by several giant halls at once, between which there are also corridors. It takes a long time to get from one chamber of the Palace of Westminster to another. However, a journey through these halls and corridors turns into a real tour of the museum!

The walls of the rooms connecting the chambers are decorated with wall paintings. Most of the paintings, which depict almost the entire history of Foggy Albion, starting from the reign of King Arthur, belong to the brushes of the most famous artists in the world. They, according to art historians and numerous guides, have no price - they are priceless.

Of greatest interest in the Palace of Westminster is the interior of the House of Lords and the premises associated with it by parliamentary ceremonial: the Royal Gallery for ceremonial processions; the room in which the Queen is dressed for her solemn appearance in Parliament; waiting room for the exchange of views and making private decisions and others.

The ceiling of the House of Lords is completely covered with images of heraldic birds, animals, flowers, etc.; its walls are lined with carved wooden panels, above which are images of six frescoes. Eighteen bronze statues of the barons who secured Magna Carta from the king stand in niches between the windows, looking out over the inlaid canopy of the royal throne, the rows of benches covered in bright red leather, and the Lord Chancellor's famous "woolen sack".

Centuries ago, this bag, covered with red cloth, was stuffed with wool, personifying the emblem of English industry. At present, the authentic "wool sack" has become a museum piece, but the tradition has remained: the chairman of the House of Lords, dressed in a black and gold robe and a lush white wig, opens the meeting, sitting on a soft red sofa without a back.

Adjacent to the House of Lords is an antechamber, furnished with the same sumptuous luxury as the hall of the Upper House itself. The northern doors from it lead to a corridor that ends at the octagonal Central Hall. There are statues of English kings in niches around the entire hall.
In the hall of the House of Commons there is not that stately pomp that is present in the hall of the House of Lords. This is not a very large room, finished in dark oak, and the dark green benches in it, running in parallel rows, leave only a small passage in the middle.

Members of the lower house of parliament during their meetings can even sit in a hat, but the chairman (speaker) is always dressed solemnly: in an old black suit, stockings and shoes, and according to the old tradition, his head is covered with an indispensable wig. In the hall of the House of Commons, in front of the speaker's chair, there is a large table on which lies a mace - a symbol of speaker's power, and three secretaries in judicial robes and wigs sit at the table.

Another long tradition has been preserved in the English Parliament since the 17th century. In 1605, a group of conspirators dug under the building of the Palace of Westminster and laid gunpowder there in order to blow up all the deputies along with the king at the time of the solemn meeting. The plot was uncovered, and Guy Fawkes, who led the gunpowder plot, was executed along with his accomplices. But every year the guards, dressed in ancient costumes, with lanterns and halberds in their hands, search all the cellars and nooks and crannies of the palace.

The lanterns of the guards are without candles, since the lower floors of the Parliament are well lit by electricity. It is known in advance that they will not find any barrels of gunpowder, especially since the new palace was built two and a half centuries after the “gunpowder plot”. But every year, on November 5, the guards, led by the bailiff of the chamber (“the bearer of the black rod”) go around the basement and check if there are any new intruders….