Palace of Westminster

The Palace of Westminster with Elizabeth Tower and Westminster Bridge viewed from across the River Thames.

The Palace of Westminster is the meeting place of the House of Commons and the House of Lords, the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Commonly known as the Houses of Parliament after its tenants, the Palace lies on the Middlesex bank of the River Thames in the City of Westminster, in central London. Its name, which derives from the neighbouring Westminster Abbey, may refer to either of two structures: the Old Palace, a medieval building complex that wasdestroyed by fire in 1834, and its replacement New Palace that stands today. For ceremonial purposes, the palace retains its original style and status as a royal residence.

The first royal palace was built on the site in the eleventh century, and Westminster was the primary London residence of the Kings of England until a fire destroyed much of the complex in 1512. After that, it served as the home of Parliament, which had been meeting there since the thirteenth century, and the seat of the Royal Courts of Justice, based in and aroundWestminster Hall. In 1834, an even greater fire ravaged the heavily rebuilt Houses of Parliament, and the only structures of significance to survive were Westminster Hall, the Cloisters of St Stephen's, the Chapel of St Mary Undercroft and the Jewel Tower.

The subsequent competition for the reconstruction of the Palace was won by architect Charles Barry and his design for a building in the Perpendicular Gothic style. The remains of the Old Palace (with the exception of the detached Jewel Tower) were incorporated in its much larger replacement, which contains over 1,100 rooms organised symmetrically around two series of courtyards. Part of the New Palace's area of 3.24 hectares (8 acres) was reclaimed from the Thames, which is the setting of its principal façade, the 266-metre (873 ft) river front. Barry was assisted by Augustus W. N. Pugin, a leading authority on Gothic architecture and style, who provided designs for the decoration and furnishings of the Palace. Construction started in 1840 and lasted for thirty years, suffering great delays and cost overruns, as well as the death of both leading architects; works for the interior decoration continued intermittently well into the twentieth century. Major conservation work has been carried out since, due to the effects of London's air pollution, and extensive repairs took place after the Second World War, including the reconstruction of the Commons Chamber following its bombing in 1941.

The Palace is one of the centres of political life in the United Kingdom; "Westminster" has become a metonym for the UK Parliament, and the Westminster system of government has taken its name after it. The Elizabeth Tower, in particular, which is often referred to by the name of its main bell, "Big Ben", is an iconic landmark of London and the United Kingdom in general, one of the most popular tourist attractions in the city and an emblem of parliamentary democracy. The Palace of Westminster has been a Grade I listed building since 1970 and part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987.

London Stone

London Stone 111 Cannon Street London

London Stone is a historic stone that is now set within a Portland stone surround and iron grille on Cannon Street, in the City of London.

London Stone is a block of oolitic limestone and measures approximately 53 x 43 x 30 cm (21 x 17 x 12 inches). This material does not occur naturally in London, its nearest source being in Kent. It is thought to have originally been much larger. Speculation in the 17th and 18th centuries suggested it was either a milliarium, marking the central spot from which all distances were measured in Roman Britain or an object of Druidic worship, suggestions that are now generally dismissed as lacking any evidence.

History

London Stone is sometimes called the Stone of Brutus, referring to the legendary Trojan founder of London in around 1,000 BC.Popular legends include the stone being the remains of an ancient stone circle that is alleged to have stood on Ludgate Hill and even the stone from which King Arthur withdrew the legendary "Sword in the Stone".

The earliest written reference to London Stone is in a book belonging to Æthelstan, King of England in the early 10th century. In the list of lands and rents of Christ Church, Canterbury, some places are said to be "near unto London stone". It was already a landmark in 1198 when it was referred to on maps as Lonenstane or Londenstane. The first mayor of London was Henry Fitz-Ailwin de Londonestone (meaning 'Henry, son of Ailwin of London Stone'), who served the city some time between 1189 and 1193, and was described as "the draper of London Stone". However, the appellation may also refer to the large stone house he built, at a time when most houses in the City were of wood — the mere mention of its uncommon material being sufficient to distinguish it, and him. Similarly, it may denote only that the stone house was constructed in close proximity to an already ancient London Stone.

Walter George Bell (writing in 1920), noted that "some years ago," members of the London and Middlesex Archaeological Society were present when the Stone's casing was removed. "It then proved to be a piece of oolitic building stone." Bell notes that "there is not the smallest rag of evidence associating it with Londinium," and that it may well be a section of the foundation of Henry Fitz-Ailwin's stone house which remained after the rest of the house was gone, and which was honored for its association with London's first mayor and with independent self-government for the City. London Stone would in that case date from the late 12th century, which accords with mentions of it in surviving records.

There are no medieval sources to suggest that the stone had any symbolic authority or meaning during the medieval period. In 1450 Jack Cade, leader of a rebellion against Henry VI struck his sword against it and called himself "Lord of the City" although no contemporary accounts comment on the meaning of this. The event was dramatised in William Shakespeare's Henry VI, Part 2 (Act 4, Scene 6) -- except that, in the play, the sword became a staff.

There is supposedly a myth that London Stone's safety is linked to that of the city itself. However, this myth can be traced back no further than the 1850s, when the Rev Richard Williams Morgan invented a so-called ancient saying "So long as the Stone of Brutus is safe, so long shall London flourish" and claimed that the stone was part of an altar built byBrutus of Troy.

Location

London Stone was originally situated in the middle of Cannon Street and was much larger than it is now. If it was Roman it might have been part of a Roman office building between the principle Roman Street and the Thames, the remains of which were excavated beneath Cannon Street Station MOL. It is shown on the 1550s copperplate map of London, as a large block of stone in Candlewick Street (now Cannon Street) outside St Swithin's Church. The church was destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666, and rebuilt by Christopher Wren, who encased the old stone in a larger protective carved stone. By 1742, the stone had become an obstruction to traffic, and was moved from the south side of Cannon Street to the north side. For similar reasons, it was moved again in 1798, and by 1828 was set into the south wall of St Swithin's Church, on the north side of Cannon Street. In 1941 St Swithun's church was gutted in the Blitz but the stone was left unscathed. In 1962 the Wren church was demolished and replaced by the current building at 111 Cannon Street, where the stone is placed in an alcove in the wall.

The stone and box, with iron grille, were designated a Grade II listed structure on 5 June 1972. A decorative grille to protect the stone had been provided by the London and Middlesex Archaeological Society in 1869; it is clear from old photographs that the present grille is not the original, but a version made in similar style in 1962. There are current proposals to move the stone further down Cannon Street to allow the building into which it is built to be redeveloped.

The nearest London Underground and National Rail station is Cannon Street — the station's main entrance is opposite the Stone on Cannon Street. There is also a pub nearby called "The London Stone".

Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum, London

Mme Tussaud´s Wax Museum

Madame Tussaud´s Wax Museum is o­ne of London's most famous museums. First begin in 1835, the museum brings well-known figures from history and modern culture to life with stunningly-realistic figures made from wax. It features figures from politics, entertainment, royalty and history in an enormous museum grouped into several large, themed exhibits. From world leaders to famous murderers, the various themed rooms have plenty of figures to keep visitors busy for hours.
For history buffs, there are famous military leaders, kings, dictators and presidents. Displayed o­n the wall is the actual blade used to remove Marie Antoinette's head. For horror buffs there is the famous Chamber of Horrors. This section of the museum depicts scenes from the French Revolution and the plague and showcases famous villains like Jack the Ripper.

The entertainment figures come and go as cultural tastes change. With new and popular TV shows come new figures to reflect that popularity. Some wax figures also get makeovers to reflect the increasing age of the person depicted. Clothing is also changed regularly to keep up with trends. Current TV and sports stars are often depicted in the museum's displays.

Located o­n Marylebone Street near central London, the original Madame Tussaud's is still the best know. However, there are now other branches abroad, that feature figures more accessible to those countries. The New York museum features American athletes, music stars and figures of note. Other branches include Washington D.C., Hong Kong, Amsterdam and Las Vegas with several new cities planned.

River Thames

The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and thesecond longest in the United Kingdom, behind the River Severn. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford, Reading, Henley-on-Thames, Windsor, Kingston upon Thames and Richmond.

The river gives its name to several geographical and political entities, including the Thames Valley, a region of England around the river between Oxford and west London, the Thames Gateway, the area centred on the tidal Thames, and theThames Estuary to the east of London. The tidal section of the river is covered in more detail under Tideway.

Tower Bridge

Tower Bridge from the south side at dusk

Tower Bridge is a combined bascule and suspension bridge in London, over the River Thames. It is close to the Tower of London, from which it takes its name. It has become an iconic symbol of London.

The bridge consists of two towers tied together at the upper level by means of two horizontal walkways, designed to withstand the horizontal forces exerted by the suspended sections of the bridge on the landward sides of the towers. The vertical component of the forces in the suspended sections and the vertical reactions of the two walkways are carried by the two robust towers. The bascule pivots and operating machinery are housed in the base of each tower. The bridge's present colour scheme dates from 1977, when it was painted red, white and blue for the Queen Elizabeth II's silver jubilee. Originally it was painted a mid greenish-blue colour.

Tower Bridge is sometimes mistakenly referred to as London Bridge, which is the next bridge upstream.

The nearest London Underground station is Tower Hill on the Circle and District lines, and the nearest Docklands Light Railway station is Tower Gateway.

Design

Tower Bridge viewed from the top of London City Hall.

The bridge is 800 feet (244 m) in length with two towers each 213 feet (61 m) high, built on piers. The central span of 200 feet (61 m) between the towers is split into two equal bascules or leaves, which can be raised to an angle of 86 degrees to allow river traffic to pass. The bascules, weighing over 1,000 tons each, are counterbalanced to minimise the force required and allow raising in five minutes.

The two side-spans are suspension bridges, each 270 feet (82 m) long, with the suspension rods anchored both at the abutments and through rods contained within the bridge's upper walkways. The pedestrian walkways are 143 feet (44 m) above the river at high tide.

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