Houses of Parliament

The House of Commons and House of Lords are housed here in the sumptuous Palace of Westminster. Charles Barry, assisted by interior designer Augustus Pugin, built it between 1840 and 1860, when the extravagant neo-Gothic style was all the rage. The most famous feature outside the palace is the Clock Tower, commonly known as Big Ben. Ben is the bell hanging inside and is named after Benjamin Hall, the commissioner of works when the tower was completed in 1858. If you’re very keen (and a UK resident) you can apply in writing for a free tour of the Clock Tower. Thirteen-tonne Ben has rung in the New Year since 1924, and the clock gets its hands and face washed by abseiling cleaners once every five years. The best view of the whole complex is from the eastern side of Lambeth Bridge. At the opposite end of the building is Victoria Tower, completed in 1860.

The House of Commons is where Members of Parliament (MPs) meet to propose and discuss new legislation, and to grill the prime minister and other ministers. The best time to watch a debate is during Prime Minister’s Question Time, for which you will have to book advance tickets through your MP or local British embassy.

The layout of the Commons Chamber is based on that of St Stephen’s Chapel in the original Palace of Westminster. The current chamber, designed by Giles Gilbert Scott, replaced the earlier one destroyed by a 1941 bomb. Although the Commons is a national assembly of 646 MPs, the chamber has seating for only 437. Government members sit to the right of the Speaker and Opposition members to the left. The Speaker presides over business from a chair given by Australia, while ministers speak from a despatch box donated by New Zealand.

When Parliament is in session, visitors are admitted to the House of Commons Visitors’ Gallery via St Stephen’s Entrance. Expect to queue for an hour or two if you haven’t already organised a ticket. Parliamentary recesses last for three months over the summer and a couple of weeks over Easter and Christmas, so it’s best to ring in advance. To find out what’s being debated on a particular day, check the notice board beside the entrance, or look in the Daily Telegraph or the freebie Metro newspaper under ‘Today in Parliament’, though it has to be said that the debates leave a lot to be desired both in terms of attendance and enthusiasm. Bags and cameras must be checked at a cloakroom before you enter the gallery and no large suitcases or backpacks are allowed through the airport-style security gate.

After campaign group ‘Fathers 4 Justice’ lobbed a condom full of purple powder at Tony Blair in May 2004 and prohunt campaigners broke into the Commons that September, security was further tightened, and a bulletproof screen now sits between members of the public and the debating chamber.

As you’re waiting for your bags to go through the X-ray machines, look left at the stunning roof of Westminster Hall, originally built in 1099 and today the oldest surviving part of the Palace of Westminster, the seat of the English monarchy from the 11th to the early 16th centuries. Added between 1394 and 1401, it is the earliest known example of a hammer-beam roof and has been described as ‘the greatest surviving achievement of medieval English carpentry’. Westminster Hall was used for coronation banquets in medieval times, and also served as a courthouse until the 19th century. The trials of William Wallace (1305), Thomas More (1535), Guy Fawkes (1606) and Charles I (1649) all took place here. In the 20th century, monarchs and Winston Churchill lay in state here.

The House of Lords Visitors’ Gallery is also open for visits. Against a backdrop of peers’ gentle snoring, you can view the intricate Gothic interior that led poor Pugin (1812–52) to an early death from overwork and nervous strain. When Parliament is in recess, there are 75-minute guided summer tours of both chambers and other historic buildings. Times change, so telephone or check www.parliament.uk for latest details.