Brilliant summer tour – Parliament from the inside
One of the best tours you can take in the late summer is of the Palace of Westminster, the meeting place of Parliament and essentially the Capitol of the UK Government. From the end of July through the end of September (while Parliament is out of session) the building is open for an absolutely fantastic tour of rooms that the public is otherwise not permitted to walk through or even see.
Specific details can be found on the UK Parliament website.
Cost: £12. The ticket booth is across the street from the Palace.
Time: Plan for 90 minutes.
Booking: Best to book a day or two ahead, but you can book same-day.
What to expect:
An expert tour guide will lead you through the building. You will enter the building through the southern “Sovereign” entrance, where the Queen enters Parliament for her annual speech and any other events. The tour proceeds to the Robing room and then further ceremonial rooms before entering the House of Lords chamber.
The House of Lords chamber is richly decorated in red and gold, with seats to either side and in the middle of the room. The throne is magnificent, and lavishly gilded, with smaller thrones to either side. (These are for Prince Phillip, her husband, and Prince Charles, her son and direct heir.) Directly in front of the throne is a huge red “woolsack,” which looks like a huge red cushion. Only the most senior Lords are eligible to sit on the woolsack. Further back in the chamber is the “Bar,” where the results of particular law cases are read out. (The House of Lords is essentially the top judicial body in the UK government.)
Moving on from the House of Lords chamber, you will go through the Lobby, with it’s unique decoration and yet strangely functional layout. Crossing through to the House of Commons chamber, you will be shown how votes are cast. (It’s a unique process, and difficult to describe without standing in the room.) Then you will be led into the House of Commons. The room itself seems like a bit of a throwback to the 1970’s. Everything is decorated in simple wood and green, and there are tiny microphones hanging everywhere. But it is fantastic to stand on the floor of this unique body.
The tour finishes at Westminster Hall, where you are able to continue exploring yourself. This room is beautiful, and is one of the few parts of the original palace still standing, having been built in 1097. (The roof is from the ~1390’s.) There is generally some sort of self-guided exhibition here that changes periodically.
Summary:
I haven’t even begun to describe all of the unique and interesting things you get to see on this tour. As Parliament is out of session, you get to see tour and experience the Palace of Westminster on a very different level than seeing the chambers from a viewing gallery. I highly recommend it for any late summer visitors or residents of London!
3 Comments
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Beautiful building and picture.