Home > Tourist Attractions  > United Kingdom  > England   Select from the following attraction(s).   Albert Dock Alton Towers Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament Blackpool Pleasure Beach British Airways London Eye British Museum Buckingham Palace Cambridge University Camden Market Canterbury Cathedral Chessington World of Adventures Durham Castle and Cathedral Eden Project Greenwich Hadrian's Wall Hampton Court Palace Harrods Leeds Castle Legoland ® Windsor London Dungeon London Zoo Madame Tussaud’s and Tussaud’s London Planetarium National Gallery National Museum of Photography, Film and Television Natural History Museum Oxford University Portsmouth Historic Dockyard Roman Baths and Pumproom Royal Armouries Leeds Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Royal Pavilion Science Museum Shakespeare Houses St Paul’s Cathedral Stonehenge Tate Britain Tate Modern Tintagel Castle Tower of London Victoria & Albert Museum Warwick Castle Westminster Abbey Windsor Castle York Minster       Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament Description: The elaborate neo-Gothic Palace of Westminster, gracefully located beside the River Thames, is one of London’s most timeless images. The adjoining clock tower, St Stephen’s, is often mistakenly assumed to be called Big Ben, although this is actually the name of the bell inside. Big Ben rings every hour on the hour and is shown on British television at midnight on 31 December to count in the New Year. The original Palace of Westminster, constructed in the 12th century by Edward the Confessor and enlarged by William the Conqueror, was used as a royal palace until 1512 when it was damaged by fire. It only became the seat of the British government in the mid-16th century, and was rebuilt in its current style, to designs by architect Sir Charles Barry, after it was completely ravaged by fire in 1834. Since then, the building has housed the UK’s bicameral parliament, consisting of the House of Commons and the House of Lords, as well as various parliamentary offices. For those who wish to watch a rowdy debate in one of the Houses, a guided tour can be arranged in advance (see details below). Alternatively, there are special guided tours of the building in August and September. There is no access to the clock tower for visitors. Contact Addresses: House of Commons Information Office, Westminster, London SW1A 0AA, UK Tel: (020) 7219 4272. Fax: (020) 7219 5839. E-mail: hcinfo@parliament.uk Website: www.parliament.uk Transportation: Air: London Heathrow Airport, London Gatwick Airport, London Stansted Airport, London Luton Airport. Rail: Train: London Victoria Station or London Waterloo Station. Underground: Westminster (Circle, District or Jubilee lines). Road: Bus: 3, 11, 12, 24, 53, 77a, 88, 109, 159, 184 or 511. Car: M1 (from Leeds); A1 (M) (from Newcastle or Edinburgh); M4 (from Bristol, Reading or South Wales); M3 (from Southampton). Opening Times: House of Commons Gallery: Mon-Wed 1430-2230, Thurs 1130-1930, Fri 0930-1500. Opening times apply only when the House is sitting. Advance booking required through local MP (UK residents) or UK Embassy or High Commission (all other visitors). House of Lords Gallery: Mon-Wed 1430-close, Thurs 1500-close, Fri 1100-close. Opening times vary and apply only when House is sitting. Advance booking required through local MP or peer (UK residents) or UK Embassy or High Commission (all other visitors). Tour of Houses of Parliament: Mon-Sat 0930-1730 (last entry 1615) (3 Aug-29 Sep). Admission Fees: House of Commons Gallery: Free. House of Lords Gallery: Free. Tour of Houses of Parliament: £7 (adult), £3.50 (child), free (child under 5). Family pass available.     Copyright © 2005 Highbury Columbus Travel Publishing Ltd.  Terms and Conditions apply.