Houses of Parliament history covers nearly a thousand years, and most of the building you see today is less than 200 years old. This page gives you the Houses of Parliament history as a dated timeline, then by period, then as a numbered list of facts with a source for each. I wrote it from Wikipedia and Wikidata, with the official Parliament site as the place to check current details, and I give numbers as those sources give them. When you want to see the rooms rather than read about them, my page on tickets for the Houses of Parliament compares the tours that go inside.
Houses of Parliament History Timeline
Year
What happened
About 1045 to 1050
Edward the Confessor builds a palace and the first Westminster Abbey
1087 to 1100
Westminster Hall is built in the reign of William II
1295
The Model Parliament meets at the palace
1512
Fire destroys the royal apartments
1534
Henry VIII moves to the Palace of Whitehall
1834
Fire on 16 October destroys most of the palace; Westminster Hall is saved
1840
Construction of the new palace begins under Charles Barry
1847 and 1852
The Lords Chamber and the Commons Chamber are completed
1858 and 1859
Victoria Tower is completed; the Great Clock enters service
1941
The worst raid, on 10 and 11 May, destroys the Commons Chamber
1950
The rebuilt Commons Chamber opens, designed by Giles Gilbert Scott
1987
UNESCO World Heritage Site
2012
The Clock Tower is renamed the Elizabeth Tower
Houses of Parliament History: The Medieval Palace
The Houses of Parliament history starts with kings, not MPs. Wikipedia says Cnut may have used the site around 1016 to 1035, and that Edward the Confessor built a palace and the first Westminster Abbey around 1045 to 1050. Westminster Hall, the oldest surviving part, was built during the reign of William II, who ruled from 1087 to 1100. The Model Parliament met at the palace in 1295.
The royal use of the site ended slowly. A fire destroyed the royal apartments in 1512 and in 1534 Henry VIII moved to the neighbouring Palace of Whitehall, so the buildings became more and more a place for Parliament.
The 1834 Fire
On 16 October 1834 a fire destroyed both Houses of Parliament and most of the complex, according to Wikipedia. Westminster Hall was saved. The fire is the event that makes the building you visit new: almost everything above the medieval hall dates from the rebuilding.
Barry, Pugin and the Rebuild
Construction of the new palace began in 1840 under Charles Barry, with Augustus Pugin assisting on details. Wikipedia gives the milestones: the Lords Chamber was completed in 1847, the Commons Chamber in 1852 and Victoria Tower in 1858. At 323 feet (98.5 metres), Victoria Tower was then the tallest secular building in the world. The Great Clock in the Elizabeth Tower entered service in 1859, and Wikipedia says most of the work was done by 1860, with the building finished about a decade later.
The tower with the clock is 315 feet (96 metres) high and was renamed the Elizabeth Tower in 2012. Its hour bell weighs 13.8 tonnes, the third heaviest bell in Britain, and the dials are 23 feet across.
Houses of Parliament Facts About the Building
The figures are the part of the Houses of Parliament history that visitors remember. Wikipedia gives a floor area of 112,476 square metres and says the palace has over 1,100 rooms, 100 staircases and 3 miles (4.8 kilometres) of passageways across four floors. The Parliamentary Archives hold 5.5 miles (8.8 kilometres) of shelving over 12 floors.
The palace has been protected for a long time. It has been Grade I listed since 5 February 1970 and became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987.
The Second World War
Wikipedia says the palace was bombed on 14 separate occasions during the war. The worst raid, on 10 and 11 May 1941, destroyed the Commons Chamber and set the roof of Westminster Hall alight, and firefighters chose to save the hall first. The rebuilt Commons Chamber, designed by Giles Gilbert Scott, opened in 1950.
Towers, Clock and Stone: More Houses of Parliament History
Several small details complete the Houses of Parliament history. Wikipedia says the Great Clock has hands of 8 feet 10 inches and 14 feet, and that the Ayrton Light above the tower was installed in 1885 at Queen Victoria’s request. The Central Tower stands at 299 feet (91 metres). In 1928 Clipsham stone was chosen to replace the decayed Anston stone of the original facade, which is why the building has needed repair work for so long.
The parliamentary estate has also grown around the palace. Parliament acquired the Norman Shaw Building in 1975 and Portcullis House was completed in 2000. During the war, a bomb on 26 September 1940 lifted the statue of Richard the Lionheart, a reminder that damage came before the great raid of May 1941.
Houses of Parliament History Today: Restoration
The building is in need of repair, and that is the newest chapter in the Houses of Parliament history. In January 2018 the Commons voted for both Houses to leave the palace for a refurbishment of at least six years, starting no sooner than 2025. A Restoration and Renewal Client Board was formed in September 2022, and Wikipedia reports that in February 2026 no plan had been agreed. Parliament still runs tours, so check the official site for the dates and areas that are open.
Why the Houses of Parliament History Matters on a Visit
The layers explain what you see inside. The medieval Westminster Hall is the survivor, the chambers are the Victorian rebuild of the 1840s and 1850s, and the Commons Chamber is a post-war design that opened in 1950. Wikipedia describes the palace as the meeting place of the Parliament of the United Kingdom and one of the centres of political life in the country, and says that Westminster has become a metonym for the UK Parliament. A guide can show you which room belongs to which period, and a plain ticket will not do that.
13 Houses of Parliament Facts With Sources
A fire on 16 October 1834 destroyed most of the palace (Wikipedia).
Construction of the present building began in 1840 (Wikipedia).
Westminster Hall dates from the reign of William II, 1087 to 1100 (Wikipedia).
The Lords Chamber was completed in 1847 and the Commons Chamber in 1852 (Wikipedia).
Victoria Tower is 98.5 metres tall and was finished in 1858 (Wikipedia).
The Elizabeth Tower is 96 metres tall (Wikipedia).
The floor area is 112,476 square metres (Wikipedia).
There are over 1,100 rooms and 100 staircases (Wikipedia).
The passageways total 3 miles, or 4.8 kilometres (Wikipedia).
The palace was bombed on 14 separate occasions during the Second World War (Wikipedia).
It has been Grade I listed since 1970 (Wikipedia).
It became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987 (Wikipedia).
Houses of Parliament History Beyond the Page
A guide is the easiest way to connect these facts to the rooms. The tour I would start with for the history is the Vox City Walks ticket and political audio tour at $41, rated 4.5 from 333 reviews, which lasts 2 hours and can be cancelled up to 2 days ahead.
Vox City Walks
London Houses of Parliament Ticket & Political Audio Tour
★4.5 (333 reviews)
2 hours
Free cancellation
My pick: The cheapest option and the most reviewed: $41, 4.5 from 333 reviews, free cancellation up to 2 days ahead.
What you get, where you meet, what reviewers say
Included
✓ Houses of Parliament reserved entry ticket
✓ Houses of Parliament audio guide in English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Chinese, British Sign Language, Welsh, and Brazilian Portuguese
✓ Political London’ audio guide app in English, German, French, Italian, Spanish and Chinese
✓ Host at the meeting point
✓ Any applicable fees and taxes
Not included / not suitable
✕ Guided tour
✕ Headset and mobile device (for Political London audio guide app)
✕ Big Ben ticket
Meeting point: Meet your host at the George V Statue, located at Abingdon St, London SW1P 3JY (opposite the Cromwell Green entrance at the Houses of Parliament). Your host will be wearing a dark blue ‘VoxCity’ uniform.
Please arrive 10 minutes early if possible. Bring photo ID, and have your ticket downloaded and ready to show Abingdon St, London SW1P 3JY, UK
Languages: English
Duration: 2 hours
Cancellation: Cancel up to 2 days in advance for a full refund
“This was an excellent insight to the workings of parliament. Very well organized and no waiting around. Bought this ad a present fir my husbands 75th birthday and he loved it.” – GetYourGuide review
If you want the abbey as well, the Amigo Tours UK guided tour combines the Houses of Parliament with Westminster Abbey at $79, rated 4.1 from 292 reviews, with durations from 75 minutes up to 4 hours.
Amigo Tours UK
Houses of Parliament & Westminster Abbey Guided Tour
★4.1 (292 reviews)
75 minutes - 4 hours
Free cancellation
My pick: The combined option: Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey at $79, 4.1 from 292 reviews.
What you get, where you meet, what reviewers say
Included
✓ Entrance to the Abbey (if you choose the option)
✓ Entrance to the Houses of Parliament (if you choose the option)
✓ Guided visit inside Westminster Abbey (if you choose the option)
✓ Audio-guided visit inside the Houses of Parliament (if you choose the option)
Not included / not suitable
✕ Entrance to any other monument
✕ Hotel pick-up and drop-off
✕ Additional expenses like tips or souvenirs
Meeting point: Your guide will be waiting outside the entrance to the Abbey shop at Westminster Abbey, 20 Dean's Yard, London SW1P 3PA, UK. Please, try to arrive 15 minutes before the tour starts to avoid any issues Broad Sanctuary, Westminster, London SW1P 3JS, Reino Unido
Languages: English, Spanish
Duration: 75 minutes - 4 hours
Cancellation: Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
“Jane was so kind and knowledgeable. The perfect tour guide for the perfect day. Thanks for an incredible experience!” – GetYourGuide review
The site was a royal palace from the 11th century, when Edward the Confessor built a palace and the first Westminster Abbey nearby, according to Wikipedia. A fire on 16 October 1834 destroyed most of it, and the present building was started in 1840 under Charles Barry, with Augustus Pugin assisting on details.
Are the Houses of Parliament and the Palace of Westminster the same?+
Yes. Wikipedia says the Palace of Westminster is colloquially known as the Houses of Parliament, after the House of Commons and the House of Lords, the two chambers that occupy it. Westminster Abbey is a separate building next door.
When was the Palace of Westminster rebuilt after the fire?+
Work began in 1840. Wikipedia says the Lords Chamber was completed in 1847, the Commons Chamber in 1852 and Victoria Tower in 1858, with most work done by 1860 and the rest finished about a decade later.
What is the oldest part of the Houses of Parliament?+
Westminster Hall. Wikipedia says it was built during the reign of William II, who reigned from 1087 to 1100, and that it was saved in the 1834 fire. Firefighters also gave it priority during the worst raid of the Second World War, on 10 and 11 May 1941.
Is the Palace of Westminster a World Heritage Site?+
Yes. Wikipedia says it became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987, and that it has been Grade I listed since 5 February 1970.
