| Summary : Also known as the Houses of Parliament, including the House of Commons, House of Lords, Westminster Hall, associated Courts, Greens and Yards. The Palace at Westminster is sited on Thorney Island and was built close to the Abbey of Westminster from about 1040 onwards. For over 500 years it remained the principal palace of the sovereign, and housed the principal Courts of Justice, the Exchequer, and administrative offices of the kingdom. It held the King's Treasury and all legal documents created by the administration. The Medieval royal palace was also used as the Houses of Parliament from late in the 13th century. Until 1548, Parliament sat in Westminster Hall, The Abbey Chapter House or Abbey Refectory, or the Parliament Chamber in the Palace. After 1548, St Stephen's Chapel became secularised, and the Commons was allowed permanent possession. The Lords occupied the Parliament Chamber. The major periods of building work occurred under William II, John, Henry III, Edwards I-III, and Richard II. By 1529 the palace was partly demolished, being replaced by Whitehall Palace, the surviving part used for ceremonial and administrative purposes only. The next major redevelopments occurred in the late C18th and early C19th under William Kent and John Vardy, and Sir John Soane. Each was an attempt to address the problems of space imposed on the legislature by being in a Royal Palace.Of the Mediaeval Palace destroyed by fire in 1834, only Westminster Hall, St Stephen's Cloister, the crypt of the Chapel of St Mary and St Stephen, and the Jewel Tower remain. Following the 1834 fire, the foundation stone for the present complex was laid in 1839 and the bulk of the complex was completed by 1854. The design was a collaboration between Charles Barry and Augustus Pugin, and combined the Gothic style with Elizabethan. World Heritage Site area includes the Northernmost part of Victoria Tower Gardens, (TQ37NW155). Surrounding railings, and 14 lamp posts in New Palace Yard, Grade II. |
More information : [Name centred TQ 302 794]. PALACE OF WESTMINSTER
[AT] (Site of)
['A' Name centred TQ 30217947]. COURT OF REQUESTS [AT] (Site of)
Anciently THE WHITEHALL [AT]
['B' Name centred ktq 30197947]. OLD PALACE YARD [AT]
['C' Name centred TQ 30207937]. GATEWAY [AT] (Site of)
['D' Name centred TQ 30267930]. PARLIAMENT STAIRS [AT] (Site of)
['E' Name centred TQ 30247945]. PAINTED CHAMBER [AT] (Site of)
['F' Name centred TQ 30237947]. CLOISTERS [AT] (Site of)
['G' Name centred TQ 30247950]. St. Stephen's Hall over THE CRYPT
[AT]
['H' Name centred TQ 30167951]. GATEWAY [AT] (Site of)
['J' Name centred TQ 30247952]. CLOISTER [AT] (Site of)
['K' TQ 30217954]. WESTMINSTER HALL [AT]
['L' Name centred TQ 30267959]. STAR CHAMBER [AT] (Site of)
['M' Name centred TQ 30257961]. GATEWAY [AT] (Site of)
[' N' Name centred TQ 30277961]. WESTMINSTER STAIRS [AT] (Site of)
['O' Name centred TQ 30247962]. FOUNTAIN [AT] (Site of)
['P' Name centred TQ 30247964]. CLOCK TOWER [AT] (Site of)
['Q' Name centred TQ 30207964]. GATEWAY [AT] (Site of)
['R' Name centred TQ 30217965]. WOOLSTAPLE [AT] (Site of)
['S' Name centred TQ 30167960]. PALACE YARD GATE [AT] (Site of)
['T' Centred on TQ 30227962]. NEW PALACE YARD [AT] (1)
The surviving fabric of the palace, as incorporated into the Houses of Parliament comprises the Hall 'K', crypt chapel of St Mary 'V' and the cloister 'J', all much restored particularly after the disastrous fire of 1834. Even before the fire extensive alterations had been made by Kent and Soane with much valuable recording by Smirke; restoration work and rebuilding was by Barry, Pugin and Pearson. Post-war restoration in the 1950s was by the Scotts.
Of note are the carved bosses and vaulting in the crypt chapel, the 12-bay hammerbeam roof of the Hall as rebuilt by Richard II and the carved capitals and label-stops (but see notes under (4) on authenticity). Considerable evidence of the Norman fabric of the hall of William II was revealed during restoration work in the 1920's, including the wall passages.
The crypt chapel of St Mary, formerly of St Mary the Virgin and St Stephen and also known as the King's New Chapel was started in 1292 but not finished until 1320-7. The 5 vaulted bays (much restored) adjoined the south end of the Hall on the east side. The cloister dating from 1526-7 was of 2 storeys, the upper one almost entirely modern, with north and south walks of 5 bays and east and west walks of 6. (2-3)
Comparative discussion on the curvature of the walls of William II's Hall suggests that it was built around a pre-existing timber structure; the buttresses and arcading on either side of the Hall do not match, and the quality of the masonry is poor (was it built in a hurry?) (4-5)
Notes on the development of the Palace as a permanent seat of government from the seat of the Court of the Exchequer and thus of the Treasury, previously at Winchester, which settled at Westminster in the early 13th century; gradually other courts (Common Pleas, King's Bench) moved there too and as government expanded so did the Great Hall and the accommodation around. Henry II added a further hall in 1167 to the east of the Great Hall, (probably on the site of an earlier building of Henry I) of which some remains were still visible under the House of Lords in the 19th century, as well as King's and Queen's chambers, a wardrobe, cloister, kitchen and Exchequer. In the early 13th century there were repairs to the Hall, the Palace walls and riverside quays and the reconstruction of the King's Chamber as the lavishly decorated Painted Chamber ('E') recorded in 1819 by Edward Crocker.
The rebuilding of St Stephen's chapel by Edward I was interrupted by fire in 1298 and the early lierne vaulting of the crypt chapel dates from the 1320's. War with France in the mid 14th century interrupted the supply of Caen stone and Pontefract stone was used instead. Because of the timespan involved in its construction the chapel was a mixture of styles from Transitional to Perpendicular. Details of its glazing and internal Purbeck fittings are also known.
A clock tower ('P') and a belfry with central staircase up to the turret were constructed by Yevele in 1365-7.
During the 14th and 15th centuries the expansion of the Palace continued. Edward III developed the self-contained privy-palace as a private residence with the main Palace for ceremonial/administrative use. He constructed a new tower for the King's Wardrobe (the Jewel Tower, 'U'; architect Yevele) and a belfry (see above) to celebrate his capture of Calais.
The Exchequer was the first department of state to aquire a permanent, purpose-built home at Westminster. These offices were constructed on the east side of the Palace next to the river where they remained until the 19th century. Until the construction of the Star Chamber ('L') in 1349 all the law courts were accommodated within different parts of the Hall itself. The positions of the various gateways to the Palace have not all been established. The installation of a water supply served lavatories, conduits, and fountains (see below).
Richard II replaced the hall roof in 1393 (work by Herland) and St Stephen's became a collegiate establishment with accommodation for a dean, canons, and vicars. (6)
Notes on the history of the Painted Chamber, White Chamber, Marcolf's Chamber, Lesser or White Hall, Princes Chamber and Old Palace yard in the medieval and post-medieval periods. (7)
Note on facsimiles of wall paintings in St Stephen's chapel made by Smirke in 1801. (8)
Notes on St Stephen's college and its compostion. (9)
'K' Hall, details of 1923 restoration work. (10)
Notes on Westminster hall as a 'moot' hall and the origins of parliament. (11)
'U' Guilde to the Jewel Tower with plans and illustrations. (12)
Notes on carpentry of Hall roof. (13)
History and site of Exchequer. (14)
'K' Illustrations and brief discussion of Hall roof. (15)
Note on collegiate chapel of St Stephen. (16)
Interior view of Westminster Hall as fitted out by Inigo Jones for the trial of the Earl of Strafford in 1641. (17)
Plans by Symonds of the Palace in 1593. (18)
Note on Bell tower erected by Edward III. (19)
'K' Note on architecture and original ground level/foundations of Hall. (20)
'K' Note on Hall. (21)
Note on style of St Stephens chapel. (22)
Architecture of Norman Hall and conjectural reconstruction of palace complex in the 12th century. (23)
Comment on (23). (24)
Notes on mason's marks, the Norman Hall and the west side of the later Hall; observations during works of 1882. (25)
'V' Notes and illustrations of the parts of the chapel of St Mary removed in 1845 at the south east corner adjoining the new Hall, and on the burials discovered. (26)
'K' brief note on the history and use of the Hall. (27)
Excavations on the west side of the Hall in 1975 located fragments of buildings constructed by Henry III, and earlier pits. (28)
Note on the finds (pottery), ? ditch, and foundations located on the west side of the Hall in 1975. (29)
Note on the location and development of the King's oratory on the east side of the cloisters. (30)
During the construction of an underground car park in Abingdon Street a later medieval dock was located just to the south of the Jewel Tower which it just pre-dated [NB: grid refs inaccurate as cited in (31)]. This ashlar-faced quay was 6' wide and parallel to the moat of the tower. On the other side of the dock was a substantial timber and wattle breakwater. By the 17th century the site was reclaimed from the river and a brick extension to the great drain of Westminster Abbey (see 37 NW 52) was constructed. Extensive range of artefacts from dock and drain. (31)
Timbers from a bridge trestle found to be incorporated into the dock. (32)
'T' In New Palace Yard excavations established that the Yard and Hall ('K') was built on reclaimed land at the edge of Thorney Island and not on the island itself. The yard had been regularly resurfaced and there were traces of timber buildings. (33)
Further work in Abingdon Street revealed part of the precinct wall of the Abbey (37 NW 52) including a corner turret by Great College Street. There was also evidence of the Palace defences, a curtain wall 5' wide with a tower. These all pre-date the Jewel Tower, around which the Abbey Drain had been re-routed. Evidence was found of a further tower dating from 1462. (34-35)
In New Palace Yard on the north side of the Hall foundations were found of fountain base of the Great Conduit ('O'), documented from 1399 and rebuilt in 1443-4. It was an octagonal fountain 8m across with brick and stone inlet and outlet channels and a central basin of Reigate stone. (36)
In the base of the 15th century fountain located in New Palace Yard in 1972 were fragments of Purbeck marble with late 12th century carving from a circular structure 3.58m in diameter. (37-38)
Work in New Palace Yard in 1972 indicated that the yard and the Hall constructed in the 1090s were built on reclaimed marsh and not on the gravel of Thorney Island. Plans of post-medieval buildings constructed around the Yard were also recovered. (39)
Note with plans and elevations of stone piers of a jetty/landing stage, for entry to the Palace from the river by the gate at the east end of the Exchequer offices. (40)
Work in New Palace Yard in 1974 indicated that the fountain ('O') had been demolished in the later 17th century. It sealed an earlier stone culvert which had probably incorporated the remains of a 12th century fountain which had probably originally stood at the rear of the high end of Westminster Hall and been removed elsewhere before being used as hard core in the 15th century fountain. (41)
Works during the reign of Henry VII were confined to repairs and refitting with the exception of the construction of new stables in 1504. In 1529 Henry VIII acquired Whitehall and some parts of the Palace were demolished to provide building materials. Thus the Palace came to be used entirely for legal and ceremonial functions. Repairs to court buildings and the Great Hall took place in 1538-40 and in 1548 St Stephen's chapel was secularised and became the home of the House of Commons. The moat around the Jewel Tower was filled in in 1551. New buildings included premises for the Exchequer records and the Court of Wards, and a new Exchequer Chamber and Court in 1563-5. The river access of the King's Bridge (landing stage) was completely rebuilt in 1568 with 13 stone piers and a timber frame. The timber buildings forming the east side of New Palace Yard were encased in brick in 1599-1602 and survived with their oriels and gables until the early 19th century. Inigo Jones prepared plans for the rebuilding of the Star Chamber which survive, but were never undertaken. (42)
In the later 17th and 18th centuries works comprised repairs and demolition. The roof of the Hall was again repaired in 1663 and there were works to the Exchequer in 1671-2. Wren supervised work to the cellars and roofs of the Commons and Lords chambers including the insertion of cast-iron columns to support the galleries - a major structural innovation. In 1698 the Belfry and clock tower were demolished and in 1707 the Great Gate was pulled down to improve the traffic flow into New Palace Yard. For a plan of the parliamentary buildings in the early 18th century, see p398. (43)
For later building history see (44). (44)
In 1978 the foundations of the 17th century Treasury were located. (45)
Hospice founded within the Palace precinct granted to St Stephens. (46)
Note on foundation of college of St Stephen in 1348, dissolved 1547. (47)
Notes on activities in the Palace gardens, including the laying (and rollering of turf) in 1259 (p. 11) the planting of pears in 1262 and other grafted fruit trees in 1239 (p80) with vines and pear trees in the privy palace (1307, p11). The construction of turf banks (for seating) is noted in 1311, and the existence of a summerhouse in the garden of the Jewel Tower in the 1450s (p112) (48)
The northernmost part of Victoria Tower Gardens is included in the area designated a World Heritage Site. (49)
Please see sources for further details. (50-54)
On 22 June 1909, Marion Wallace-Dunlop, a member of the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU), also known as the suffragettes, stamped a notice on the walls of St Stephen's Hall and also on the main entrance to Parliament as an act of protest which was part of the WSPU's campaign for women's enfranchisement. It announced an upcoming mass gathering in Parliament Square and quoted a passage from the 1689 Bill of Rights which had been ratified in the hall in which she stood. It said '"It is the right of the Subjects to petition the king and all commitments and prosecutions for such petitioning are illegal."' She was caught part-way through, however returned two days later to try again and while successful in her efforts, was arrested and sentenced to a month in Holloway prison. (55)
On 27 April 1909, suffragettes chained themselves to statues in St Stephen's Hall during a protest. Margery Hume chained herself to a statue of Viscount Falkland, to which some damage was done during the protest. (56)
This fact sheet about the Palace of Westminster provides detailed information about the palace. (57)
|