The Palace of Westminster

more commonly known as the Houses of Parliament or Westminster Palace, is the meeting place of the House of Lords and the House of Commons, the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It is located on the north bank of the River Thames in the borough of the City of Westminster. Much of the original 11th century palace was destroyed by fire in 1512 and the rebuilt palace again in 1834 buy yet another fire, its replacement is what we see today.

A competition for the reconstruction of the Palace was won by architect Charles Barry. Most of the remains of the old palace were incorporated into its larger replacement which now contains over 1,100 rooms organised around two series of courtyards. Construction began in 1840 but due to financial problems and the deaths of both leading architects it would be 30 years later before it was finally finished.

Towers

The Palace of Westminster features three main towers, Victoria Tower(323 ft, the tallest), Central Tower (299 ft, the shortest) and Clock Tower(the most famous). The Clock Tower or Big Ben as it is more commonly known stands 316 ft and houses the Great Clock of Westminster built by Edward John Dent, it came into service in 1859. Striking the hour to within a second of the time, the Great Clock of Westminster achieved standards of accuracy considered impossible in the 1800's by the clock-makers of that era.

The Clock Tower has come to symbolise London and in many ways Britain itself particularly in news broadcasts and films.

Palace of Westminister

For more information visit the link below. Parliment