Houses of Parliament

Facts and information

Address:: Houses of Parliament, Parliament Square, Westminster,
London SW1A 0AA
England
Website:: www.parliament.uk
Opening times:: House of Commons public gallery (when in session): 2.30 PM to 10.30 PM (Mon, Tue); 12:30 AM to 7.30 PM (Wed); 10.30 AM to 6.30 PM (Thu); 9.30 AM to 3 PM (Fri); Note: Opening times are subject to change, and may not apply on public holidays. Always reconfirm with the venue before making plans.
Buses:: 3 12 53 87 88 148 159 214 453 510 C10
Trains:: St. James’s Park CRC DSC, Westminster CRC DSC JUB Note: The nearest train station to Houses of Parliament is Westminster. We can help you find the best route from any other train station:
Train journey to Houses of Parliament

A view of the Houses of Parliament, with Westminster Abbey behind

^{Big Ben clock tower} The Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, from the top of the London Eye

^{Big Ben, Houses of Parliament}

Did you know… Oliver Cromwell’s head was stuck on a spike at Westminster Hall for twenty-five years – as retribution for King Charles I’s execution.

Did you know… You can tell when Parliament is sitting by a flag flying from Victoria Tower. If it’s sitting at night, then a light will shine from the Clock Tower.

^{The Houses of Parliament}

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The Houses of Parliament – or Palace of Westminster, as it is also known – has occupied the same spot since 1016, when Canute the Great built a royal palace on the site.

Westminster Hall

The oldest surviving part of the building is Westminster Hall, which was built by William the Conqueror’s son in 1097 after moving his royal residence from the Tower of London. Most kings followed suit for 450 years, until Henry VII built St. James’s Palace in 1530.

The Hall is marked by the imposing statue of Oliver Cromwell on the green – it was here that he was sworn in as Lord Protector in 1653. It also served as the country’s highest court until the mid 19th-century, setting the scene for the trials of Charles I, Anne Boleyn and William Wallace. But the most famous case involved Guy Fawkes, who was tried for treason in the Gunpowder Plot.

The building is also used for ceremonies and coronation banquets – the last was in 1821 when George IV took the throne. These days it is used mainly for funerals, when England’s leading lights are laid in State. You may remember news reels of Winston Churchill in the sixties, and the beloved Queen Mother in 2002.

History of the Houses of Parliament

The very first meeting to claim the name ‘parliament’ was the Model Parliament of 1295. Its powers were strictly limited though – as the country was ruled by the King. When a fire gutted the building in 1529, Henry VII moved to St. James’s Palace and turned the building over to the politicians.

The House was split into two sections: the House of Lords ^[5] – which until recent times housed the non-elected nobles and wealthy land-owners – and the House of Commons ^[7], which had the commoners. But because the House of Lords was closely linked with royalty, it was the only group to have a chamber. The House of Commons usually met in the Chapter House of Westminster Abbey.

Fortunes changed in 1547 when Edward VI passed the Protestant Reformation Act – dissolving the religious order of St. Stephens. This freed up St. Stephen’s Chapel, and gave the Commons a home of its own.

Architect Charles Barry

A disastrous fire in October 1834 burnt most of the Palace to the ground, and the only surviving parts were the Jewel Tower, the undercroft of St. Stephen’s Chapel, and Westminster Hall ^[1]. Most of what you see today, therefore, is just 170 years old.

Charles Barry was entrusted with the rebuild, and came up with his gothic-style replacement. Work was spread over thirty years, and further work was carried out in the 1940s when a German bomb landed in the Commons.

The newest parts of the building are distinguished by two tall towers – the Victoria Tower ^[2] at one end (335 feet), and the world famous Big Ben clock tower ^[8] at the other (322 feet). The smaller tower in the centre sits directly above the various lobbies and debating chambers.

The House of Commons, and House of Lords

The Commons is where the Prime Minister comes face to face with members of the opposition. It is far more austere than its brother, the Lords – partly because of the rebuild during the war, and partly because the Lords is considered a royal room. It is also very small – it can only seat 437 of the 659 MPs.

The House has had a long and lonely struggle against the power of the King – it was subservient to both the throne and Lords for hundreds of years. Things only began to change in the late 14th-century when an MP complained about his taxes, and even impeached a couple of the King’s ministers. He was soon thrown in prison, but released on the death of Edward III.

Further gains were made in the civil war, when Cromwell dethroned the King in the name of the people. He ousted Charles I and abolished the Lords. The Commons was therefore supreme – but in reality Cromwell acted as a military dictator.

Interestingly, the Queen is still forbidden to enter the House of Commons to this very day. The last monarch to affect an entry was Charles Ihimself, in 1642. He sought to arrest five of its members, but when he asked the Speaker where they were he received the terse reply: May it please your Majesty, I have neither eyes to see nor tongue to speak in this place but as the House is pleased to direct me, whose servant I am here.

Until very recent times the House of Lords housed the non-elected nobles and wealthy land-owners. The Queen is theoretically allowed to attend every debate that goes on here – which is why the throne remains empty – but in reality she only attends the State Opening of Parliament.

When the Queen is otherwise engaged her presence is represented by a Royal Mace sitting on the Woolsack, just in front of the throne.

State Opening of Parliament

The Houses of Parliament are high in pomp and pageantry, and every year the Queen attends the State Opening of Parliament in her gold State Coach. She dons her full regalia and marches through the Norman Porch with members of the Household Cavalry. A short stroll through the Royal Gallery ^[4] follows, leading into the Lord’s Chamber – where she sits and reads the speech.

Several traditions must take place before she actually sits and reads the speech. First of all, a customary tour of the cellars is conducted by security – to prevent another Gunpowder Plot. Then she must summon the Commoners from their chamber. As ‘Black Rod’ approaches their door it is symbolically slammed in his face – to assert their independence from the sovereign. He then knocks three times with his big black staff to summon them out. It is customary for a couple of members of the House to heckle him at this point – as a further sop to independence.

The final tradition involves their seating positions… just as the Queen is not allowed to enter the Commons, the MPs are not allowed to enter the Lords. They all have to stand outside the Bar and watch at the back.

The Queen’s Speech is always written by the Government of the day, and outlines their policy for the coming year.

>> Drummerboy’s blog – Houses of Parliament Summer Opening

Drummerboy – “The tour was pretty much exactly the same as last year, except this time we had a nice old lady guiding us around instead of Colin. I thought Colin was pretty good last time, but this lady was better. She spoke about more stuff and in greater detail, and because we were the very first tour of the day we didn’t have a load of other groups crowding around us drowning her out. Last year I didn’t go until the afternoon and the place was packed solid… continued.”

>> Drummerboy’s blog – Houses of Commons Public Gallery

Drummerboy – “After going on the Houses of Parliament Tour last summer and enjoying it, I decided I’d definitely be going back to sit in the public gallery… so that’s what I did today. I went and sat in the House of Commons public gallery while the MPs were down below having a chat. It's actually pretty easy to get in. I was a bit surprised because you don’t need to book or show any ID or anything. You can literally just turn up at the door and they’ll let you in. Once you’ve got past the big machine-gun cops there’s an airport-style security scanner. After that you walk straight into Westminster Hall… continued.”

>> Drummerboy’s blog – State Opening of Parliament

Drummerboy – “I was expecting about 500 horses, ten thousand soldiers and about fifty thousand marching bands, but there wasn’t a lot of that at all. There was only really one or two bands, 100 horses at most, and probably a couple of hundred soliders in their red tunics and bearskins. The whole parade passed us by in two or three minutes – no joke. The Queen was in a closed black carriage with Prince Philip, being pulled by two white horses, and that was followed by another one with four more Royals inside. But I haven’t got a clue who they are, not even now, after watching the video ten times… continued.”

>> Write a review of Houses of Parliament Read all reviews

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glenking – “Parliament is a little imposing when you first visit it, it took me half an hour to pluck up the courage to walk up and see if i was allowed to enter. The front is full of gun cops and you wonder whether they're going to let you in. But once you're inside… read the full review”

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