Houses of Parliament and Big Ben

The first

A palace whose oldest part is still Westminster Hall

The palace was built in the eleventh century and was the main home of the kings of England until a fire in 1512 destroyed the royal apartments. Parliament had met there since the 13th century, and its oldest surviving part, Westminster Hall, dates from the reign of William II.

The fire

Burning old tally sticks set the Lords Chamber alight

On 16 October 1834 an overheated stove, used to destroy the Exchequer's stockpile of tally sticks, set fire to the House of Lords Chamber. Both Houses were destroyed, but Westminster Hall was saved by firefighting and a change in the direction of the wind.

The rebuild

Barry and Pugin built the Gothic palace of today

Charles Barry's Gothic Revival design was chosen, and he relied heavily on Augustus Pugin for the details. Construction started in 1840 and lasted 30 years. The palace has over 1,100 rooms, and the Lords Chamber was completed in 1847.

1,100rooms, with 100 staircases and 3 miles of passageways

The tower

The Great Clock strikes the hour to within a second

The Elizabeth Tower, nicknamed Big Ben, was called the Clock Tower until 2012. Its Great Clock has been in service since 1859. The Great Bell weighs 13.8 tonnes, and a crack in the present bell gives it a distinctive sound.

The light

A lamp was lit so Queen Victoria could see Parliament at work

The Ayrton Light, in the lantern at the top of the tower, is lit when either House is sitting after dark. It was installed in 1885 at the request of Queen Victoria, so that she could see from Buckingham Palace whether the members were at work.