Westminster | Texture of Life

Westminster Abbey is one of the most famous religious buildings in the world, and it has served an important role in British political, social and cultural affairs for more than 1,000 years.

Westminster Abbey has been the site of royal coronations since 1066, and has been a working facility for religious services since the 10th century

Seagull flying over the river Thames with the Big Ben on the background
How old is Westminster Abbey? The era of Abbey started in 960s or 970s, when King Edgar and Saint Dunstan moved a community of monks to the site. Construction on the church is started in 1245 when King Henry III selected it as his burial site.
Westminster Abbey Seventeen royal weddings have taken place at Westminster Abbey with the most recent on 29 April 2011. This was the royal wedding of Prince William of Wales now Duke of Cambridge, who is the eldest son of Charles and Diana. He married Miss Catherine Middleton now Duchess of Cambridge.
The Palace of Westminster with Big Ben The Palace of Westminster acts as the meeting place for both the House of Commons and the House of Lords
The Palace of Westminster One of the most recognised buildings in the world, the Palace of Westminster owes its stunning Gothic architecture to the 19th-century architect Sir Charles Barry
The Palace of Westminster Grade I listed, and part of an UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Palace contains a fascinating mixture of both ancient and modern buildings, and houses an iconic collection of furnishings, archives and works of art.
The Palace of Westminster The building is informally known as the houses of parliament because of its occupants.
How old are the Houses of Parliament? The construction of 1,100 rooms houses of parliament was completed in 1870. However, the building required constant maintenance.
Once house of parliament was abandoned due to evil smell Parliament Considered Abandoning the Palace of Westminster Because the River Thames Used to Smell so Bad. The whole drama goes under the name of The Great Stink of 1858. The river smelt so bad that Parliament first tried to dip their curtains in a mix of lime and chloride to hide the smell…
Illuminated the Palace of Westminster with Big Ben Westminster was the primary residence of the Kings of England until it was destroyed by fire in 1512.
Big Ben, an icon of London Formerly known as the Clock Tower, the structure was renamed as the Elizabeth Tower in 2012, in honour of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. It is the bell within that is named Big Ben.
Big Ben, an icon of London The latin words under the clockface read DOMINE SALVAM FAC REGINAM NOSTRAM VICTORIAM PRIMAM, which means "O Lord, keep safe our Queen Victoria the First"
Big Ben, an icon of London Big Ben has rarely stopped. Even after a bomb destroyed the Commons chamber during the Second World War, the clock tower survived and Big Ben continued to strike the hours.
A Lawyer and an Astronomer designed the Clock Movement While you might guess that the English government would have charged top clockmakers with the task of creating such a prominent timekeeper, the pair who actually designed the clock were not trained horologists. Royal Astronomer Sir George Biddell Airy came up with the specifications that the clock had to have, and lawyer, politician, and railway promoter Sir Edmund Beckett Denison designed the movement.
Only Residents of UK are allowed inside the Tower Though Big Ben ranks as one of England’s most popular tourist attractions, overseas visitors are not allowed to venture inside the tower. As of 2010, only residents of the United Kingdom can take the tour—and you have to be sponsored by a Member of Parliament of the House of Lords.
Big Ben chimes every fifteen minutes and can be heard for up to five miles around

Seagull flying over the river Thames with the Big Ben on the background

How old is Westminster Abbey?

The era of Abbey started in 960s or 970s, when King Edgar and Saint Dunstan moved a community of monks to the site. Construction on the church is started in 1245 when King Henry III selected it as his burial site.

Westminster Abbey

Seventeen royal weddings have taken place at Westminster Abbey with the most recent on 29 April 2011. This was the royal wedding of Prince William of Wales now Duke of Cambridge, who is the eldest son of Charles and Diana. He married Miss Catherine Middleton now Duchess of Cambridge.

The Palace of Westminster with Big Ben

The Palace of Westminster acts as the meeting place for both the House of Commons and the House of Lords

The Palace of Westminster

One of the most recognised buildings in the world, the Palace of Westminster owes its stunning Gothic architecture to the 19th-century architect Sir Charles Barry

The Palace of Westminster

Grade I listed, and part of an UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Palace contains a fascinating mixture of both ancient and modern buildings, and houses an iconic collection of furnishings, archives and works of art.

The Palace of Westminster

The building is informally known as the houses of parliament because of its occupants.

How old are the Houses of Parliament?

The construction of 1,100 rooms houses of parliament was completed in 1870. However, the building required constant maintenance.

Once house of parliament was abandoned due to evil smell

Parliament Considered Abandoning the Palace of Westminster Because the River Thames Used to Smell so Bad. The whole drama goes under the name of The Great Stink of 1858. The river smelt so bad that Parliament first tried to dip their curtains in a mix of lime and chloride to hide the smell…

Illuminated the Palace of Westminster with Big Ben

Westminster was the primary residence of the Kings of England until it was destroyed by fire in 1512.

Big Ben, an icon of London

Formerly known as the Clock Tower, the structure was renamed as the Elizabeth Tower in 2012, in honour of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. It is the bell within that is named Big Ben.

Big Ben, an icon of London

The latin words under the clockface read DOMINE SALVAM FAC REGINAM NOSTRAM VICTORIAM PRIMAM, which means "O Lord, keep safe our Queen Victoria the First"

Big Ben, an icon of London

Big Ben has rarely stopped. Even after a bomb destroyed the Commons chamber during the Second World War, the clock tower survived and Big Ben continued to strike the hours.

A Lawyer and an Astronomer designed the Clock Movement

Only Residents of UK are allowed inside the Tower

Though Big Ben ranks as one of England’s most popular tourist attractions, overseas visitors are not allowed to venture inside the tower. As of 2010, only residents of the United Kingdom can take the tour—and you have to be sponsored by a Member of Parliament of the House of Lords.

Big Ben chimes every fifteen minutes and can be heard for up to five miles around