Houses of Parliament or Westminster
Palace
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Houses of Parliament
The Palace of Westminster or
Houses of Parliament on the north bank of
the River Thames is the meeting point of the
House of Lords and the House of Commons,
which are the Houses of the Parliament of
United Kingdom. The tourist attraction has
1,100 rooms, 100 staircases and three miles
of corridors. The building was erected in
the 19th century, but only the Westminster
Hall and the Jewel Tower remained as
original structures as the rest was
devastated by a fire in 1834.
Before the two houses gained control of the
Palace in 1965, the Lord Great Chamberlain,
who now
holds some of the ceremonial
rooms, had the main duty.
Gothic architecture embraced the exterior of
Palace of Westminster, which was designed by
classical architect Sir Charles Barry with
Augustus Pugin's assistance. The stonework
was initially made from Anston but was
replaced by Clipham Stone in 1928 when the
Anston started decaying.
The Palace is popular for its main towers
namely: Victoria Tower, Central Tower, the
Clock Tower (most popularly known as the Big
Ben) and St. Stephen’s Tower. Other towers
include Speaker's and Chancellor's Towers.
The Palace is open to the public, who can
enjoy the galleries and debates. The Prime
Minister’s Question Time every Wednesday
afternoon is considered the best time to
visit, although one needs to book a ticket
through the embassy.
