A walk around this area will take you to Westminster Abbey, one of the
most beautiful abbeys in the world, and the Palace of Westminster the seat
of British Parliament, towered over by the landmark clock tower and the
world famous chimes of Big Ben. A walk through St James’s park tales
you to the royal palaces of St James’s Palace and Buckingham Palace.
You’ll find it impossible to avoid the crowds drawn by the Changing
of the Guard ceremony that takes place outside the residence of the Queen
in the mornings.
Buckingham Palace
The famous residence of the British Queen dates from the early 19th
century (except for the façade, which was built in 1913).
The architect John Nash transformed the original manor house (1702)
into a vast palace, originally intended as a simple pied-a-terre
for King George IV. To fund restoration work after a fire damaged
Windsor castle, some staterooms are open to the public in the summer
while the Queen is on holiday.
Changing of the Guard every day 11.30am
Westminster Abbey
Begin by admiring the abbey’s fine exterior with its flying buttresses.
Once inside, visitors in a hurry should go first to the sanctuary- to see
the splendid stained glass- and the chapel of Henry VII, with its extraordinary
vaulted ceiling. If you go to the Abbey Museum, with its effigies of the
dead, take a good look at Henry’s face, as you’ll see a few
hairs above his ears. Apparently they were caught in the cast when his
death mask was being made. This was originally a substational church foundation.
The Chapter house and cloister court are also worth visiting.
Palace of Westminster
The Palace of Westminster is a neo-Gothic building dating from the
19th century. It houses both the House of Commons and the House
of Lords. It’s the heart of British political life. Inside
300 people or so work in around 1,000 offices, and there are nearly
2 miles/3km of corridors. The Palace is best known for its clock
tower bell, affectionately known as Big Ben (the nickname of Benjamin
hall, who was in charge of its installation in the tower) You can
go up into the to see the bell’s mechanism as long as you
don’t mind the long climb up the stairs. The famous chimes
of Big Ben can be heard within a radius of 3km/2 miles of Westminster.
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