London The Westminster Palace and Big Ben
Contents • Westminster Palace – History – A plan of the Palace of Westminster in London. • • Big Ben Houses of Parliament – The political institution – The House of Commons – The House of Lords • • Westminster Hall Quiz
History • The oldest existing part of the Palace (Westminster Hall) dates from the reign of King William II. • The palace was used as a royal residence until Henry VIII moved the royal family out in 1512 following a fire. • The first official Parliament of England met in the Palace in 1295. • The palace contains around 1, 100 rooms, 100 staircases and 4. 8 kilometres of corridors.
• On 16 October 1834, most of the Palace was destroyed by fire. • The rebuilding started in 1840 according to the plan of Charles Barry in a Gothic style. J. M. W. Turner - The Burning of the Houses of Lords and Commons (1835)
Big Ben
Big Ben • • • At the north-eastern end of the Palace is the most famous of the towers, the Clock Tower, which is 96. 3 metres tall. The Clock Tower houses a large, four -faced clock — the Great Clock of Westminster — designed by Pugin. The tower also houses five bells, which strike the Westminster Chimes every quarter hour. The largest and most famous of the bells is Big Ben (officially The Great Bell of Westminster), which strikes the hour. This is the third-heaviest bell in England, weighing 13. 8 tonnes. Although Big Ben properly refers only to the bell, it is often colloquially applied to the whole tower.
Houses of Parliament
Parliament: The political institution. The House of Commons The House of Lords • The Honourable the Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in Parliament assembled • The Right Honourable the Lords Spiritual and Temporal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in Parliament assembled
Westminster Hall
Westminster Hall • Westminster Hall, the oldest existing part of the Palace of Westminster, was erected in 1097. • It was primarily used for judicial purposes, housing three of the most important courts in the land: the Court of King's Bench, the Court of Common Pleas and the Court of Chancery. • Westminster Hall has also served ceremonial functions. • Under reforms made in 1999, the House of Commons uses a specially converted room next to Westminster Hall (not the main hall) as an additional debating chamber.
