The Houses of Parliament are also known as The Palace of Westminster. It is built in the Neo-Gothic style and is made up of the House of Commons and the House of Lords. These two houses have been representing the British Parliament since 1265. It was completly finished in 1870. On the 16th October of 1834 a disastrous fire destroyed a big part of the Houses of Parliament. Only the Westminster Hall, the Jewel Tower, the Crypt, the St Stephen's Chapel and the Cloister could be saved from the fire. But that wasn't all: in World War II the Houses of Parliament 
were damaged by a bombing raid once more. But now it gleams in its old, or better new splendour again.The Lords Chamber:
The Lords Chamber is the Council Chamber and is situated in the southern part of the Palace of Westminster. It has red coloured benches and a golden painted Canopy and Throne.
The Commons Chamber:
The Chamber of the Houses of Commons is at the northern end of the Houses of Paliament. The benches, as well as all the other furniture in the House of Commons, are coloured green.
The Westminster Hall:
The oldest part of the Houses of Parliament is the Westminster Hall. It was constructed in 1097 and is one of the largest halls in Europe and it has a magnificent, but unsupported roof. This Hall was the location for Coronation banquets.
Other rooms are:
- Royal Gallery
- Princes' Chamber
- St. Stephen's Hall
- Members' Lobby
- Central Lobby
- Members' Chamber
- Robing Room
The two houses have so many chambers that they need serious security. Therefore the House of Lords is guarded by " The Gentleman Usher of Black Rod" and the House of Commons by "The Serjeant-at-Arms".
Big Ben
Big Ben is the clock's hour bell in the clock tower of the Westminster and not the tower itself!! The construction of the tower was started in 1843 and completed in 1859. The name Big Ben is often used for the whole tower building, but the name was actually first given to the Great Bell, which first rang on 31 May and on 11 July its strikes were heard for the first time. The clock has its name probably from the first Commissioner of Work, Sir Benjamin Hall, or from the popular heavyweight boxer Benjamin Caunt. This explains the nickname "Big Ben". The Tower is about 96 meters high, has eleven floors and 334 steps to the belfry and gives a fantastic view over the city. But Big Ben and the clocktower can't be visited by tourists. The hour hand of the clock face measures 2, 7 meters and the minute hand 4, 25 meters. Big Ben is the largest of the five bells and the largest in the whole of Great Britian. The clock tower was designed by Charles Barry and originally called St. Stephen's Tower. This year (2009) the Parliament has celebrated the 150th anniversary of its famous clock tower, the Great Clock and the Great Bell. Big Ben has become the symbol of London and the whole of the UK.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLpaO7jhMP4&feature=related
To read about our experiences and impressions click here.
Jessica H. and Paul H. (9c)
