Westminster Hall

Now more commonly known as the Houses of Parliament, the Palace of Westminster began life in 1042 as a royal residence under Edward the Confessor. The major structure to survive various fires, Westminster Hall was built between 1087 and 1100 and is one of the largest medieval halls in Europe with an unsupported hammerbeam roof. During the 14th century the Hall housed shops and stalls selling wigs, pens and other legal equipment. The courts of law also met there. Constructed in the eleventh century, its ancient timbers now occasionally form a suitable backdrop for a range of special concerts.

Following a fire in 1512, Henry VIII decided to abandon the Palace and from this moment onwards it became home to the two seats of Parliament - the Commons and the Lords.

Thomas More, Charles I, and those accused of trying to blow-up Parliament (1605), were all tried in Westminster Hall.

The Hall suffered from yet another disastrous fire in 1834 when everything was lost except Westminster Hall and the Jewel Tower. A competition was launched to redevelop the whole site.

Sir Charles Barry and Augustus Pugin were responsible for the mock Gothic building that has become such a familiar landmark today and home to both the Clock Tower that houses Big Ben (the bell that chimes on the hour) and the largest clock face in the country.