Look around London: Houses of Parliament

We take a look at London’s most important building…

Transcript

00:00Hello and welcome to another edition of Look Around London.

00:03The Houses of Parliament, also known as the Palace of Westminster, sit on the north bank

00:08of the River Thames in central London.

00:11This is the heart of British democracy, home to the House of Commons and the House of Lords.

00:17The original palace was a royal residence dating back to the 11th century, but much

00:22of it was destroyed in a fire in 1834.

00:25The iconic Gothic structure we see today was designed by architect Charles Barry, with

00:30interiors by Augustus Pugin.

00:32It includes famous landmarks like Big Ben, officially the Elizabeth Tower and Westminster Hall, which

00:38survived the fire and dates back to 1097.

00:42Parliament has been the site of major moments in British history, from the trial of Charles

00:46I in 1649, to Churchill's wartime speeches and modern day politics.