NEN Gallery

The oldest part Westminster Hall was built between 1087-1100. On January 20, 1265 the first meeting of the English Parliament, summoned by Simon de Montfort, met here. In the 14th century the hall housed shops and stalls selling legal equipment and the courts of law.. Following a fire in 1512, Henry VIII abandoned the palace and it became the permanent home to the two seats of parliament. Another fire in 1834 destroyed everything except Westminster Hall and the Jewel Tower. Architect Charles Barry, won a competition for his design, he and interior designer Augustus Welby Pugin created the new buildings.