Houses of Parliament
The Palace of Westminster is the home of the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, the Lords and the Commons. Most people call it the Houses of Parliament for this reason.
The original Palace of Westminster was a royal residence in the 11th century. Westminster Hall is the oldest part of the Palace and was built between 1087 and 1100. It is one of the largest medieval halls in Europe.
A terrible fire destroyed everything except Westminster Hall and the Jewel Tower in 1834. The iconic mock gothic buildings, including the famous clock tower ‘Big Ben’, were built after the fire and so are not as old as many people imagine.