Books
Houses of Parliament edited by MH Port (New Haven and London, 1976) - a scholarly examination of the architectural development of the new Palace of Westminster.
The Houses of Parliament: History, Art, Architecture edited by C and J Riding (London, 2000) - some 16 authors get to grips with the old and new Palace of Westminster, with extensive colour and black-and-white images. The bibliography is extensive and a vital resource for anyone interested in the themes that the book covers - including pageantry, chivalry, the genius of place, architectural influences, interior decoration and Prince Albert.
Pugin: A Gothic Passion edited by C Wainwright and P Atterbury (New Haven and London, 1994) - the catalogue that accompanied the ground-breaking exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum, a must for anyone interested in the Gothic Revival.
The History of the Ancient Palace and Late Houses of Parliament at Westminster by Edward Wedlake Brayley and John Britton (John Whale, 1836) - published just after the fire, this is a fantastic insight into the history of the old palace from a Victorian鈥檚 viewpoint, with many illustrations.
The History of the King's Works by HM Colvin (6 vols) (The Stationery Office Books, 1977) - architecturally everything you ever wanted to know about the development of the old and new palaces of Westminster, and other royal and government buildings.
Links
: Explore five of the former royal palaces - Hampton Court, Kensington, Kew, the Banqueting House (Whitehall) and of course the Tower of London.
: The official royal site - search under royal residences such as Windsor Castle, and track the history of the monarchy.
: A comprehensive site including the history of Parliament, current parliamentary business, and a guide to events and resources.
: A project to digitise a major archive of church plans from the 19th and 20th centuries. As they are from applications to alter the buildings, many have 'before and after 'plans.
: Compare and contrast the image of the Scottish debating chamber with the Commons Chamber at Westminster. Discover more about Scotland's parliamentary procedures, and Scottish MPs.
: Find out more about legislative procedures in Wales.
Places to visit
: House of Commons, London SW1A 2TT. Tel: 0207 219 4272. Walking around both the old and the new palaces will give you sense of the history that has taken place there, and how the palace and the abbey are related to each other.
, Tower Hill, EC3N 4AB. Tel: 0207 709 0765. Here there are two Royal Chapels - the Chapel of St Peter ad Vincula (the oldest Chapel Royal in England) and the Chapel of St John the Evangelist.
, Berkshire SL4 1NJ. Tel: 01753 869898. Here St George's Chapel is of particular interest.
: The former debating chambers of the Commons at the Chapter House are well worth a look. Also of particular interest in the Abbey is the shrine of Edward the Confessor, built by Henry III. Around the shrine are the tombs of some of British history's key players, Edward III, Henry III and Richard II. Nearby is the Coronation Chair, made for Edward I and used at every coronation since Edward II.
If you are interested in Richard II, the Abbey also contains his tomb and the magnificent portrait of the enthroned king. A short walk away is the National Gallery (Trafalgar Square), where you can see the exquisite Wilton Diptych commissioned by Richard.
Gothic Revival Style: Britain has a rich heritage of Gothic revival buildings. Take a look at , Leicestershire - this has been described as the 'first of the Romantic super-castles'. and , Glamorgan, contain exuberant Gothic revival interiors, by architect William Burges. , Oxford, is one of the numerous university colleges in this style. The , designed by Alfred Waterhouse, is another example of the Gothic Revival style used for many museums built at this time. , Strand, London, were moved from Westminster to this splended Gothic site in the 1890s.
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Published: 07-02-2005
