Where is Westminster Hall?

Westminster Hall is in London, in the United Kingdom — coordinates 51.4999°, -0.1254°.

Gardens · London

Westminster Hall

Westminster Hall — a garden in england-london, United Kingdom.

Plan your visit

Typical visit: 1 h–2.5 h
Best time of year: Spring & summer (Apr–Sep)

Family-friendly
Dog-friendly

Westminster Hall is a garden of interest in england-london, United Kingdom — drawn from open-data sources for visitor reference. See the linked Wikipedia article for the full description.

Photo gallery

From the Wikipedia article

Westminster Hall is a medieval great hall which forms part of the Palace of Westminster in London. It was built in 1097 for William II, and at that time was one of the largest halls in Europe. It is particularly notable for its hammerbeam roof, which was commissioned for Richard II in 1393 and built by the royal carpenter, Hugh Herland. At the same time the rest of the hall was remodelled by the master mason Henry Yevele. The hall survived the fire of 1834 and bombing in World War II and, in spite of various restorations, has maintained its medieval structure and many of its features. The hall has served a variety of ceremonial and administrative functions throughout its history. From the twelfth to the nineteenth centuries it was home to the courts of King's Bench, Chancery, and Common Pleas. It was the scene of important state trials, including those of Thomas More, Guy Fawkes and King Charles I. Banquets and royal entertainments were hosted in the hall, with the last coronation banquet being that of George IV in 1821. Since the twentieth century, the hall has been the venue for the lyings in state of state funerals. It is used for special addresses by Parliament to the monarch, and is on rare occasions the venue for joint addresses to the two chambers of Parliament.

Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.

Background

History

Westminster Hall, which is the oldest surviving building within the Palace of Westminster, was built as a Great Hall for William II. The foundations were laid in 1097 and the building was completed by 1099. At that time it was the largest hall in England, and possibly Europe. During its early history, the main use of the hall was for feasts and banquets. William II held the Whitsun feast in the hall on its completion in 1099. The earliest coronation banquets were those of Prince Henry in 1170 and Richard I of England in 1189. There were banquets when the king's Great Council met, and to mark other important occasions. Henry III provided feasts for poor people in the hall, the only king to…

Architecture

The hall is notable for its hammerbeam roof, which was commissioned by Richard II in 1393. It was built by the royal carpenter, Hugh Herland, and is considered "the greatest creation of medieval timber architecture" creating a single huge open space, with a dais at the end. Richard's master builder Henry Yevele retained the original dimensions, refacing the walls, with fifteen life-size statues of kings placed in niches. The rebuilding had been begun by King Henry III in 1245, but by Richard's time had been dormant for over a century. Included in Richard's renovations are repetitions of his favourite heraldic badge – a White Hart, chained, and in an attitude of rest – which is repeated…

Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.