Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, London

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People who have read my travel pages will already know that I adore sculpture and municipal art, so it's no great surprise that Parliament Square in Westminster is one of my favourite spots in London for 'sculpture spotting'.

If you are immortalised in Parliament Square, then you really know that you've ascended to the rarified ranks of the Great and the Good - the only snag is that you usually have to be dead to do so! The current roll call includes British heavyweights from yesteryear such as Winston Churchill, David Lloyd George, Benjamin Disraeli, Viscount Palmerston and Sir Robert Peel as well as a few statesmen from the Former Colonies, including Abraham Lincoln. Surprisingly there are also two South Africans: Nelson Mandela - the only one to be commemorated during his lifetime - and Field Marshal Jan Smuts (whose picture is shown here).

I was particularly intrigued by Smuts' presence, as I believe that he is one of the most influential world statesmen of the early 20th century. He was one of the primary architects of the League of Nations (the forerunner to the United Nations) and was one of Britain's staunchest allies before he was voted out of office after World War II and replaced by the Nationalist government that would eventually morph into the apartheid regime. Above all, Smuts was a dedicated Anglophile who would have been chuffed to know that his statue stands outside the Mother of Parliaments!

For anyone interested in learning more about this fascinating man, see my travel tips on his house in Irene near Pretoria (which is a must for anyone visiting South Africa who has an interest in this period).

Would-be photographers and those who'd like to get a good look at these statues from all angles may be frustrated to discover that the grassed section of Parliament Square around which the statues are displayed has been cordoned off and at the time of writing (January 2011) it was only possible to walk along the pavement. This is to prevent the protestors who have been camped out opposite Parliament (protesting Britain's involvement in various armed conflicts) from migrating onto the grass, and as they've been there for several years already, they're unlikely to be going away anytime soon.

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When I searched the internet for detailed information about Palace of Westminster’s façade, I found a most fascinating article called An Eloquent Sermon in Stone by David John Watkin (Professor of History of Architecture, Cambridge). His introductory words are so perfectly describing my intention with this tip that I simply let him speak first:
Quote David Watkin:
“Architecture is more than mere engineering, aiming not just to make buildings stand up but make them speak – and, at its best, to make them speak eloquently of profound matters. No public building exemplifies that power better than Sir Charles Barry’s Houses of Parliament, whose architecture delivers virtually a sermon in stone to the British nation about its deepest value, its ancient culture”.
(please make sure you read the whole article if you share a similar fondness of older, talking, buildings as I do).

Well, the Palace of Westminster had a certain fascination for me ever since I saw it back in 1977. This time however I took my time and walked around it quite often, at least as far as I could get. I deeply regret that I don’t know that much about British history as it would have been helpful to understand what I saw. Sir Barry created a masterpiece with this façade. He created it in Perpendicular style, the typical English version of late Gothic, which, to be honest, I really like better than our continental version of Gothic. It is fascinating to look at the eastern part (the one which faces river Thames). At first glance it seems very much symmetrical, but it is not. The three towers are of different size, height and style, and the middle part is a bit raised compared to the sides. But to me this looks even more harmonic than if it would be completely symmetrical. I’ve read that this eastern part has sculptures of more than 300 kings, queens and saints, but it is difficult to get details, unless you would hire a boat and drive along slowly. The southern façade (towards Victoria Gardens) is easier to admire. Photo 3 shows in my opinion how this perpendicular harmony was created: one statue in the middle, flanked by two others, but the middle one has a higher spire on the guarding roof, which points into the next “rectangular block” above this section. Sir Barry and Pugin gave very much attention to the elaborateness of all the statues, as it can easily be seen in the main photo. Between the statues are Tudor roses and initials of Queen Victoria (Victoria Regina) all over. On the western façade (the outer walls of House of Lords) the porticullis and heads of earls and others dominate (photo 4).

So I can only highly recommend to take your time and walk around the long building to take in these amazing details of the façade. I will certainly do so next time, and by then I hopefully know more about the history to understand what I see. I often thought about how Sir Barry and Pugin worked on the plans, in days where no CAD was available. And from this point of view, their work is even more outstanding, given the huge amount of drawings and sketches they did, which alltogether lead to this incredibly beautiful building.

Coordinates on GoogleEarth:
51°29’57’’N; 00°07’30’’W

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BIG BEN.. and the house of parliament have been symbolizing London for years. If you want to know the history, google it. But if you want to witness the beauty, I'd suggest go check out yourself. My pictures may help you a bit.

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Don't worry; it is not my intention to explain, once more, that Big Ben is not the name of the tower but that of the bell, etc., etc.

I just want to inform you that the afternoon is not the good moment to take a photo of the Parliaments' façade on the river. Look at my miserable pic. A terrible contre-jour! Btw I was glad to read in my dictionary that the English use the French word contre-jour (a heritage from the French speaking Richard Coeur de Lion ?).
Get up early, best on a sunny morning, if you want to see something on your photo.

If like me you spent your morning looking (with some delight) at the torture chambers of the Tower of London and reached the Parliament in the late afternoon you will not regret your late arrival if you walk to Parliament Square and St Margaret St. especially if the August sun is shining.

What is a pleasure for the visitor and his camera is that honey-coloured stone used all over the building and that makes such beautiful effect on photos. Actually when the Parliament, after the nearly complete destruction by fire in 1834, was rebuild between 1840 and 1860 in a Gothic style on a neo-classical principle of symmetry, the stonework of the building was a sand-coloured magnesian limestone from Anston (South Yorkshire). This stone decayed due to pollution and was progressively replaced by Clipsham Stone, a honey-coloured limestone from the county of Rutland between 1930 and 1994. And that's what we see now in the late sun.

Of course, if it is raining you can go on any time of the day. Your photos will be … neutral wet.

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The Palace of Westminster (otherwise known as the Houses of Parliament) is perhaps the most recognisable building in London and one of my favourites. Why 'Houses' of Parliament? Well, the British Parliament comprises two houses: the lower House of Commons of elected representatives and the upper House of Lords, peopled with hereditary and life peers.

The current building is a flamboyant confection by Sir Charles Barry in the Perpendicular Gothic style(!) and surprisingly recent, with the exterior having only been completed in 1870 (and much of the interior much later than that). Like many Central London buildings, the Houses of Parliament have been cleaned in recent years to remove accumulated surface grime and I think that the honey coloured limestone - a pleasant counterpoint to the rather stark white Portland Stone which has been used for the facades of many of the Whitehall buildings - is beautiful, particularly in the early morning and late afternoon, when the masonry seems to glow in the gentle light.

There has been a building on this site since the mid 11th century, and the earliest surviving building of the Westminster Complex is the adjacent Westminster Abbey. Westminster Palace was initially a royal residence that accommodated a Model Parliament (comprising some members of the clergy and nobility) from as early as 1295, although their primary function was to impose taxes rather than govern - some would argue that not much has changed!

The Palace has changed dramatically over the centuries due to several devastating fires and repeatedly extended and remodelling to adapt to its changing function. Parts of the medieval structure such as the lovely Undercroft Chapel still survive - despite the best efforts of Guy Fawkes and the other ill-fated participants in the Gunpowder Plot of 1605 (who were hung, drawn and quartered for their pains) - but most of the building postdates the catastrophic fire of 1834.

The Palace has three towers. The tallest is the Victoria Tower, which is equipped with a flagstaff: if the Royal Standard (the Queen's personal flag) is flying, then the monarch is in the House, and if the Union Jack is flying, Parliament is in session. The Bell Tower at the other end of the building houses five bells, including the largest, Big Ben (whose distinctive 'boing' strikes on the hour). If there is a light on in the Bell Tower, then it is indication that the House is sitting - rumour has it that this convention was introduced so that Queen Victoria to make sure that her Government were putting in the requisite number of hours! The Octagonal Tower is the smallest of the three towers, and was initially installed as a ventilation feature (presumably to vent all that hot air???), cited by architects as "the first occasion when mechanical services had a real influence on architectural design". However, the design was a failure and the tower was eventually was demoted to a decorative feature.

When I was at university, my Byronic boyfriend and I often take late night strolls down to the Thames and play Pooh Sticks off Westminster Bridge - it sounds very lame looking back, but in the throes of young love, it seemed wildly romantic! If the weather was cold and we didn't yet feel like going home, we would check to see whether the light was on in the Bell Tower, and, if so, we would submit ourselves to a cursory security check and then slip into the Visitors' Gallery of the House of Commons to watch the late night debate in the surprisingly small Chamber. This was usually much less dramatic than it sounds, with MPs droning on about some dull topic (and in truth, it was more amusing to spot which members were snoozing on the benches) but it was interesting to see parliamentary process in action. In the post 9/11 world, things are very different, and although it is still possible to visit, the process is a lot more security-conscious (although still free): see the website below for more details.

People Of A Certain Age (ie. middle aged people like me!) will not be able to look at the roof of Westminster Palace without conjuring up a pivotal scene from my all time favourite BBC series: 'House of Cards' - people who have seen it will know exactly what I mean, and I won't spoil it for those who have yet to have the pleasure. This brilliant pitch black commentary on the life and times of a fictional British MP Francis Urquhart (whose initials were far from accidental) was written by Michael Dobbs, Margaret Thatcher's former Chief of Staff and is a biting commentary on Westminster and what one has to do to survive and thrive in this viciously competitive environment. This series (and its sequels, 'To Play The King' and 'The Final Cut') are an absolute must for those wanting to gain an insight into the British parliamentary system and cynical British humour!

Sharp-eyed travellers (and other know alls) will also be awarded brownie points for noting the similarity between the Houses of Parliament in London and the House of Parliament in Budapest whose architect Imre Steindl who was inspired by Westminster Palace!

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This is a wonderful statue in the wonderful architectural surrounding of Westminster Palace.

Richard I of England (1157 – 1199) Cœur de Lion - the Lionheart was King of England, Duke of Normandy, and Count of Anjou. This heroic and iconic king of England did speak only French and during his ten years reign spent only a few months in England. He lived in his Duchy of Aquitaine, in the southwest of France, when he was not fighting somewhere in France or being one of the leaders of the third Crusade.

The bronze equestrian statue (which underwent a renovation in 2009) is from Marochetti a favourite sculptor of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert and was installed in 1860 on the granite pedestal in front of the House of Lords with the name Coeur de Lion written in French.
The cost of erecting the statue was paid by public subscription.
The bas-relief panels for the sides of the pedestal are also from Marochetti. They show Richard's victory over the Saracens at Ascalon and the dying Richard pardoning Bertram de Gourdon who had shot at him with a crossbow causing a fatal injury.

Many visitors to Westminster probably miss the Jewel Tower, but it is one of only two surviving buildings from the original medieval Palace of Westminster. It was built in 1365-6 for King Edward III by Henry Yevele, the 'Surveyor of the King's Masonry' and was originally intended as a private treasury.

It was originally surrounded by a moat, to give greater security, and also provide fish for the King's table.

From 1621 the tower was used to store parliamentary records, and later it was used by the Board of Trade's standards department, which tested standard weights and measures.

Nowadays, there is an exhibition inside telling the story of the building, and a small cafe.

Open daily, 10.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. Admission is £3.20.

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Located on the River Thames, the Houses of Parliament building is one of the most interesting buildings in a city full of mostly uninteresting buildings. It is one of London’s most recognizable buildings probably due to its clock tower which houses the 13 ton bell, Big Ben. Most people think the clock tower is Big Ben, which is not the case. Currently only UK residents can tour the clock tower. Unfortunately while we were there, you could not tour the Parliament building either so we just walked around outside.

During the Summer Opening, UK residents and overseas visitors can buy tickets to tour the Houses of Parliament. It is arranged during the summer recess, when Parliament does not sit and Members work away from Westminster. Tours run from Monday to Saturday inclusive, but not on Sunday or Bank Holidays. Tours take about 75 minutes and include the Commons and Lords Chambers, the Queen's Robing Room, the Royal Gallery and Westminster Hall.

Opening hours Saturdays throughout the year:

9.15am to 4.30pm

Summer Opening: 29th July to 3rd September 2011 and 19th September to 1st October 2011

Ticket prices Adult: £15.00

Children: £6.00

Tickets are available on the day of tour from the Ticket Office located next to the Jewel Tower in Old Palace Yard (opposite the Houses of Parliament). However, visitors are advised to pre-book tours in advance online through ticketmaster or by phoning 0844 847 1672.

Tour times: July/August: Mon, Tues, Fri, Sat 9.15am-4.30pm, Wednesday and Thursday 1.15-4.30pm. September: Mon, Fri, Sat 9.15am-4.30pm. Tues, Wed, Thurs 1.15-4.30pm.

Security measures include searches prior to entry. Cell phones must be turned off, and no cameras/photos except in Westminster Hall.

Please note that all visitor information is correct as of this update.