The Palace of Westminster and Big Ben clock tower

The Palace of Westminster and the Big Ben clock tower are the home of Houses of Parliament

The Houses of Parliament which are properly called the Palace of Westminster, along with the Clock Tower, are probably the single most recognized landmark in all of London. In fact the 316 foot high Clock Tower, which is commonly refered to as Big Ben after the nickname of it's heaviest bell, is famous throughout the world. The giant bell chimes each hour while four smaller bells chime every 15 minutes.

The site of the Palace of Westminster has a rich history going back nearly 1000 years to the 11th century. While it originally served as a royal residence it has been the location for meetings of the Parliament of England since 1295. In 1834 a huge fire broke out and destroyed the majority of the complex. Two Chambers where quickly repaired in order to be used by the Houses of Lords and Commons by February of the following year. After debating different designs for rebuilding the palace it was finally decided to stay with a convservative Gothic style. Rebuilding was completed in stages between 1840 and 1870. Palace of Westminster and the famous Clock Tower were again damaged heavily by a total of 14 different bomb strikes during the course of World War II, however everything was again rebuilt and repaired after the war.

During your visit to Houses of Parliament (Palace of Westminster) you can enjoy viewing and photographing the impressive architectural details and you can enjoy the Tower Gardens, a park that runs along the Thames River next to the Palace.

Public tours are available on Saturdays and during the Summer Opening. Tickets are required. For more information see Parliamentary Tours for overseas visitors

There are many other attractions within easy walking distance of Houses of Parliament (Palace of Westminster). Some of these include Saint James's Park, Buckingham Palace, Hyde Park, Westminster Abbey, Westminster Cathedral and the Westminster Cathedral. These attractions can be nicely combined into a memorable one or two day walking tour.

For more information about the Houses of Parliament (Palace of Westminster) visit their official website: Parliament UK

Getting There on Transit
Tube Line	Tube Station	Walking Time
Circle, District and Jubilee Line	Westminster	2 minutes
Northern and Bakerloo Line	Charing Cross	14 minutes
Victoria Line	Victoria	19 minutes
Connections and additional information
Walking Distance from the Tube Stations. No bus needed. From Westminster Station you will exit onto Bridge St. right across from Big Ben. From Charing Cross Station walk west on Strand then bear right at Trafalger Square and head south along Whitehall St. From Victoria Station walk east along Victoria Street.

Intricate Details of the Palace of Westminster Clock Tower often called Big Ben cc licensed flickr photo shared by Mark Ramsay