Palace Of Westminster
Despite working there for some time now, this is the first occasion on which I’ve mentioned the building in which I spend more time than anywhere else. Clue: it’s our country’s most famous landmark and the namesake of HP Sauce!
Since at least Saxon times, there have been buildings on the site which is today home to the Palace of Westminster, or the Houses of Parliament as it is more commonly known. A mediaeval palace and its various additions were destroyed in a massive fire in 1834 though the eerily tranquil Westminster Hall which dates from 1097 did survive. Work began on the present Gothic style Palace in 1840 after a design by Charles Barry (1795-1860) was chosen by the Royal Commission following a public competition. Augustus Welby Pugin (1812-52) assisted Barry on, in particular, the Gothic elements. The project took around thirty years to complete.
