The place of government , but with extensive royal apartments. The Westminster Hall which we see today was extensively remodelled by Richard II but was founded on the same outer walls. In the earlier building the roof was supported by two rows of internal pillars. it is all which is left of the Palace of the 14th century the rest of which was removed by two disastrous fires in 1512 and 1834.
As It Was
The palace had several private docks.
Unique Features
Conceptual drawings from the 17th century give some idea of the original palace. One of the fascinating snippets is that most rooms could be accessed both from the public corridors, which might in themselves be very private, or from a totally seperate set of royal corridors. This facilitated both affairs of state and other, very different. affairs.
The Arches
The internal arches which enabled the central pillars to be removed are spectacular.
The External Image
Nevertheless the hall is still the feature which provides the “signature’ of the westminster complex when seen at close quarters.
The Sepentine River
