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Houses of Parliament © ** Maurice **
Houses of Parliament
Originally built for Edward the Confessor more than 1,000 years
ago, the Houses of Parliament, or Palace of Westminster, remained
the principal residence of Britain’s monarchs for the next
400 years. Thereafter it became the administrative centre of the
country. In 1834 the great fire burnt everything except Westminster
Hall, and the present Gothic building was completed in the 1840s.
It is perhaps most famous for the clock tower, St Stephens, which
is commonly, but mistakenly called Big Ben, after the name of the
bell inside. Although Parliament is closed to visitors during
session, it is still a popular attraction to tourists for its
exterior architecture.
Address: Westminster
Post code: SW1A 0AA
E-mail: hcinfo@parliament.uk
Website: www.parliament.uk
Telephone: 0870 906 3773
Transport: Westminster underground station
Opening time: Open during summer recess, see the website for details.
Admission: £12 (adults), £5 (children)