Westminster is an area of London on the River Thames. On the riverbank is the Palace of Westminster home of the Houses of Parliament. It is one of the largest
Parliaments in the world and contains 1,200 rooms, 100 staircases and 2 miles of corridors. The building, built in Gothic style was erected between 1840 and 1888.
It has two large towers one of which contains the famous clock, Big Ben, although the name really relates to the 13ton bell. The clock is finely tuned to give the correct time and even though the workings are huge just old pennies are used to adjust the timings.
Westminster Abbey or to give its correct name, The Collogiate Church of St. Peter is the traditional place for coronations and burials of the Royal Family. Since 1066 all but four British monarchs have been crowned in the Abbey. Admission is now being charged for admission this has become quite controversial as it is considered that a House of God should be open and available to all.
Westminster School was always known as one of the country’s top public boys schools. It takes in boys at the ages of seven, eleven and thirteen and girls are now allowed to attend for the two most senior years of the school when they are 16 to 18 years of age. The school has approximately 750 pupils a third of which are boarders. The school is situated in the walled grounds of Westminster Abbey although some classes take place in buildings outside the Abbey grounds.
Property to rent in Westminster is available costing around £1,000 - £2,500 per week for a 2 bed flat and £1,000 - £5000 per week for a 3 bed flat.
During the reign of Queen Elizabeth I several applications for a bridge across the River Thames at Westminster were made but always refused by the city. In 1736 plans were passed and in 1739 a concrete bridge was started. It was a long slow job and was when finished never very safe. In 1854 work was stated on a new wrought iron bridge. It was opened a few years later and is now London’s oldest bridge.
Across the River Thames from Westminster is situated British Airways London Eye. It is the tallest observation wheel in the world. It travels at a constant speed of 10ins per second, thought it is stopped for the disabled and elderly so they may get on and off in safety. It has 32 capsules each holding around 25 people. One revolution takes thirty minutes and fantastic views of London and surrounding areas can be seen. It was opened in 2000 and is the most popular paid attraction in the UK with 3.5m visitors a year.
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