Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
When to Go:
The place is most crowded every day at mid-morning and on Saturdays
andMondays.Visitearly,duringlunch,orlate toavoidtouristhordes.Weekdaysafter14:30
are less congested; come after that time and stay for the 17:00 evensong. The main entrance,
on the Parliament Square side, often has a sizable line. Of the two queues (cash or credit) at
the admissions desk, the cash line is probably moving faster.
Music and Services:
Mon-Fri at 7:30 (prayer), 8:00 (communion), 12:30 (communion),
17:00 evensong (except on Wed, when the evening service is generally spoken—not sung);
Sat at 8:00 (communion), 9:00 (prayer), 15:00 (evensong; June-Sept it's at 17:00); Sun ser-
vices have more music: at 8:00 (communion), 10:00 (sung Matins), 11:15 (sung Eucharist),
15:00 (evensong), 18:30 (evening service). Services are free to anyone, though visitors who
haven'tpaidchurchadmissionaren'tallowedtolingerafterward.Freeorganrecitalsareusu-
allyheldSunat17:45(30minutes).Forascheduleofservicesorrecitalsonaparticularday,
look for posted signs with schedules or check the Abbey's website.
ThisNeo-Gothic iconofLondon,theroyalresidence from1042to1547,isnowthemeeting
place of the legislative branch of government. The Houses of Parliament are located in what
was once the Palace of Westminster—long the palace of England's medieval kings—until it
was largely destroyed byfire in 1834.The palace was rebuilt in the Victorian Gothic style (a
move away from Neoclassicism back to England's Christian and medieval heritage, true to
the Romantic Age) and completed in 1860.
Visitors are welcome to view debates in either the bickering House of Commons or the
genteel House of Lords. You're only allowed inside when Parliament is in session, indicated
byaflagflyingatoptheVictoria Tower,atthesouthendofthebuilding (generally Mondays
through Thursdays). This isn't really intended as a tourist attraction—it's about letting Brit-
ishcitizens observe their leaders atwork.Thoughtheactual debates aregenerally quite dull,
it'sstillathrilltobeinsideandseetheBritishgovernmentinaction.Ifyou'remoreinterested
in the building than the proceedings, join a guided tour (see below).
Cost and Hours:
Free, both Houses open to visitors Mon-Tue 14:30-22:30, Wed
11:30-22:00, Thu 10:30-19:00, these are longest possible hours—often closes earlier with
no notice, closed Fri-Sun and most of Aug-Sept, less action and no lines after 18:00, Tube:
Westminster, tel. 020/7219-4272, see
www.parliament.uk
for schedule.
Tours:
Though Parliament is in recess during much of August and September, you can
get a behind-the-scenes peek at the royal chambers of both houses during these months with
a tour (£15, 1.25 hours, generally Mon-Sat, times vary, so confirm in advance; book ahead
through
www.ticketmaster.co.uk
)
. The same tours are offered Saturdays year-round.
Visiting the Houses of Parliament (HOP):
Enter the venerable HOP midway along the
west side ofthe building (across the street from Westminster Abbey) through the Visitor En-
