This area is at the heart of touristy Westminster, and just south of Whitehall. It encompasses Westminster Abbey, as well as its gardens and yards, Parliament Square Garden, the Supreme Court and Queen Elizabeth II Centre. It also borders the Houses of Parliament and the Victoria Tower Gardens to the east. The bulk of the postcode sector, however, is much like the other parts of Westminster, with government offices dotting the landscape, red-bricked Victorian and Edwardian era flats and terraces lining the streets (ranging from four to ten stories). The area also contains two large event halls – Church House and Emmanuel Centre, with large domes over such facilities. A particularly unique, feature, however, is St. John’s Smith Square at the centre of Smith Square, a baroque concert hall which stages classical music concerts. Overall, the area is split between the typical commercial and governmental business of Westminster, some residences, as well as the landmarks and event halls which cater to the capital’s visitors. The architecture slightly varies because of this, adding variety to the daily landscape.

Westminster Abbey is the gem of the area. An abbey had existed here even before Norman times. King Edward the Confessor rebuilt St. Peter’s Abbey from 1042 to 1052, the first in England to be built in Romanesque style. The abbey grew in importance in Norman times, though most of the monks and abbots there still lived modest lives. The present church was constructed in 1245, and would slowly grow over the years with numerous additions. It would go through difficult times under King Henry VIII and during the 1640s from Puritan iconoclasts, and much later during the Blitz, when the roof was hit by incendiary bombs. However, it survives today, the last addition being a corona built to replace a 1950s structure.

The famous T.E. Lawrence, also known as Lawrence of Arabia, lived on 14 Barton Street. Born in wales, he would later move with his family to Scotland and then to Oxford, where he attended the High School and later studied History at Jesus College. He later worked for the British Museum as an archaeologist, based in Ottoman Syria. His claim to fame came in 1916, when, having been sent to Arabia on an intelligence mission, he got involved with the Arab Revolt, and participated in military activities against the Ottomans, culminating in the capture of Damascus in 1918.

The area is at the political centre of London. However, this comes with numerous protests which often dominate Whitehall and the surrounding areas. Though not frequent, the area in general is busy, as can be expected from a government centre.

There have been some residential developments happening throughout this part of London, particularly around the river Thames. 9 Millbank, for example, is a new residence in a grand neoclassical building, with flats going for millions of pounds. Meanwhile, Hope House is a relatively more modest apartment in a renovated Victorian block, including a private roof garden. A more recent Millbank development, 7 Millbank, which was built in two phases between 1912 and 1929 and was the head office of British American Tobacco, is getting a makeover designed by Make Architects. Work will involve dismantling, repairing and reconstructing the existing facade and building a new office building within.