This area is almost entirely dominated by the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Palace of Westminster. Bordering the River Thames, this iconic building is home to Houses of Parliament, the House of Lords, the House of Commons, and Big Ben. With Westminster station right next door it is unsurprisingly well connected by train, and numerous bus routes pass by along the congested Abingdon Street. It’s not uncommon to see prominent politicians and news reporters walking past the grand statue of Oliver Cromwell, or protesters assembling in front of the often-vandalised Winston Churchill statue. As one would expect, there are no houses in the vicinity, and the majority of those walking the streets around the locality are tourists visiting some of London’s most valued landmarks.

Known in the Middle Ages as Thorney Island, the area was first used as a residence for King Canute the Great from 1016-1035. Edward the Confessor built the original palace around 1050, and the first parliament was set up in 1265, but the main royal residence was destroyed in a fire in 1512 during the reign of Henry VIII. It was again gutted by fire in 1834, when a pair of stoves started a blaze that totally levelled the timber-framed building. A competition to design the new palace was won by Sir Charles Barry, who incorporated the surviving medieval sections into an impressive Gothic Revival structure. Construction took over 30 years and was embellished by Barry’s colleague Augustus Pugin, who was responsible for much of the famous Gothic details that the palace is so well known for today, such as the tower that holds Big Ben. Sadly, the strain of the work took its toll on Pugin, who was committed to the famous Bedlam Insane Asylum, dying there in 1852.

There is a common misconception regarding Big Ben. Big Ben is not the tower itself but the bell. The tower is actually called the Elizabeth Tower, named for the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. It was originally simply known as the Clock Tower.

Like most tourist hotspots, the area is incredibly congested. There is also a high police presence because of the importance of the building and those inside it, which can sometimes feel intimidating, but for many it is also reassuring.

The Elizabeth Tower has been undergoing major restoration; the first time in nearly 40 years. The £80 million project is now nearly complete. Earlier in 2022, the clock tower was finally liberated from its scaffolding and the restoration initiative has entered its final stages. It hopefully won’t take long for the bells to ring again! Parliament expects to welcome its first visitors back inside the Elizabeth Tower in Spring 2023. While the refurbishment must have certainly disappointed a large number of tourists in the past few years, it will certainly be a treat for future visitors and London locals. The tower has been reguilded and clock’s iconic dials have been restored to their original colour - Prussian blue.