London is literally teeming with historical locations. You’d be hard pressed to walk down any street in the capital and not stumble into something of historic importance or relevance.
If it’s not the houses then it’s the streets. Since the dawn of modern politics, London has always led the charge in the world of political advancement. You only have to look at the entrance the glorious sandstone Houses of Parliament to see a certain statue of a certain Oliver Cromwell to see where it all began. Here are some of the places you shouldn’t miss if you ever want to take a tour of London’s political landmarks.
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The Palace of Westminster
Aka The Houses of Parliament, it’s simply where parliament is housed. Few people in the world would fail to recognise this majestic building at first glance. The earliest part of the palace was the brainchild of the pious but architecturally-minded King Edward the Confessor who, in 1042, saw work begin at the site, across the street from his incredible new Westminster Abbey. The wooden beams in Westminster Hall date back to Edward’s time but the majority of the palace we see today was built in the 16th Century.
It was a royal residence until a fire in 1512. Following that it has been the home of the House of Commons, for the elected MPs of the British parliament, and the House of Lords, many of whom have inherited their positions on the famous red leather benches.
The House of Commons is perhaps the most famous interior section of the palace, with its green leather benches. Like many of London’s landmarks the Chamber of the Commons was hit by a German bomb, but soon rebuilt to its former glory. The Queen delivers her speech at the State Opening of Parliament in the Lords Chamber near the grand Royal Gallery.
There are visitor tours available, via St Stephen’s entrance but for those that which to witness Prime Ministers famous Question Time they might have to either queue for some time or write to their local MP in the UK for an invitation.
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10 Downing Street
Perhaps the most famous street number in the UK, Number 10 Downing Street is where the Prime Minister works and sleeps when he or she is in London. Sir George Downing bought some land near Whitehall in 1680 and then a while later in 1732 King George II gave the Prime Minister at the time Sir Robert Walpole residence there.
It’s nice and local for the bosses in Parliament. The Chancellor of the Exchequer lives next door at number 11 and the chief Whip at number 12. There understandably aren’t any tours of any of the buildings and you can’t even get down the street as there were iron gates put at the entrance in the eighties due to terror threats. But you could peer down from Whitehall and maybe catch a glimpse of Gordon Brown picking up his milk.
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Cabinet War Rooms
“Gentlemen, you can’t fight in here! This is the War Room”. The film Dr Strangelove showed us how tense and also ridiculous it must be to be in a room responsible for so many people’s lives. Perhaps one of the most personal, understated and intriguing political landmarks in London are the Cabinet War Rooms.
Located a stone’s throw from Downing Street HQ on King Charles St, the War Rooms were where Churchill and his colleagues hid during the Second World War. Between them was three feet of solid concrete and every inch entirely necessary as some of the most important decisions in the whole war were made in these rooms. Nowadays you can wander about the little offices and board rooms and explore the old desks, telephones, code cracking devices and maps for quite a small admission charge.
Photo of British Parliament and Big Ben by **Maurice**
Topic: General Travel |
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Tags: culture, London
About the author
Phil is a freelance writer working on various writing and editing projects ranging from feature film scripts to travel writing. He enjoys writing from experience and sharing information on the many places he has visited over the years
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