Adventure #6, continued

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Simply standing and turning a circle  in Parliament Square may overwhelm the eyes.  There's lots going on here.  Exiting the Westminster tube station will bring you onto the square facing the Palace of Westminster (Houses of Parliament), with the river and Westminster Bridge to your left. 

The Palace of Westminster has been home to British representative government for centuries.  The current building is Victorian, but Westminster Hall, with its hammer beam ceiling is much older.  It dates back to William Rufus, son of William the Conqueror, and has seen over nine hundred years of continuous use.  You may have seen this hall following the recent death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother as she lay in state here for several days before her funeral. 

St. Stephen's tower is home to the bell, Big Ben.  Big Ben is the largest of the bells in the tower and was installed in 1858.  It is thought to have been named for Sir Benjamin Hall, the Parliamentary Commissioner of Works of the day. 

Touring Westminster Palace is a challenge.  If you would like to try this, check out this web site for further information:  http://www.parliament.uk/parliament/tours.htm#EDU.

Many statues can be seen near Westminster Palace and in Parliament Square.  Oliver Cromwell if off by himself alongside Parliament.  Winston Churchill and other notable British leaders are dotted around the square itself.  Even an American has made it to Parliament Square.  Abraham Lincoln is across a small street from the west side of the square.

The south side of the square is dominated by two churches, little St. Margaret's and Westminster Abbey.  St. Margaret's is sometimes called "the society church" as it has played (and still plays) host to society weddings and funerals and it is the parish church for a very high-rent district. 

Westminster Abbey has been the site of Coronations since Edward the Confessor.  It is the burial site of monarchs and dignitaries, a place for monuments to poets and writers and home of the British Tomb of the Unknown.  It is open Monday through Friday 9:00 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. and Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:45 p.m.  £6.00 for adults, £3.00 for over 60.

Visiting the cloisters of Westminster Abbey is free.  It's a lovely area to take a break from "big city" for awhile.  There is also a brass rubbing center here.

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