By Yusra Bourara

The Strand is a well known street located in the City of Westminster in London. It is almost a mile long and very wide, running from Charing Cross to Temple Bar, where the street soon becomes Fleet Street. The name comes from the old English term strond, meaning the edge of the river, since the street runs along Thames River.

By Cassidy Young

Charing Cross monument was originally built by King Edward I when his wife, Eleanor of Castile, died in 1290. A dozen crosses were erected in her honor along the path her body was taken on the way to her burial, from Lincoln to Westminster Abbey, most of which are now destroyed.

By Liesl Magnus

When Cesar de Saussure visited London in 1725, he noted that the Admiralty “is a fine building recently completed. The chief, or president, of the Admiralty resides here; the noblemen who compose the board assemble in its walls and you can generally see many well-known sea-captains and men on business intent” (p. 66).

By Maddie Pounder

Little remains of the grand palace of Whitehall, except for the Banqueting Hall which became famous as it was the site of the execution of King Charles I and the one and only time the British Monarchy has been overthrown by the parliament.

By Jillian Place

By Krista Walrath

The Gate of Westminster  was located on the wide, squared stoned street outside the Banqueting Hall. The gate was quite ancient. De Saussure describes the gate as “remarkable for its gothic architecture and its antiquity” (p. 66). King Charles I was led down Whitehall passed this gate when he was going to the block to be executed. The Westminster Gate is now demolished and there are no signs of it ever being there.

By Sarah Abeling 

The House of Lords  or Peers is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United Kingdom.  De Saussure wrote that the room was "larger and longer than broad" (54). The seats were upholstered in crimson red and embroidered gold. The hall had been hung with tapestries of Queen Mary of Scots depicting the Spanish Armada that Phillip II of Spain sent against Queen Elizabeth.

By Chris Denham

The House of Commons, or Lower House as it is often called, is the Parliamentary house whose positions aren’t governed by hereditary titles.  This chamber was in the Parliament building, next to the Thames River, in the Westminster sector of London. 

By Abbey Wells

Westminster Hall, built in 1097, is the oldest building of the Parliament complex. Up until the 19th century, the hall was used for judicial purposes. It hosted three important courts: The Court of King's Bench, the Court of Common Pleas and the Court of Chancery. `

By Yusra Bourara

The House of Parliament, located near Westminster Abbey, used to be a royal palace, large and spacious. However, it was mostly destroyed by a fire, that left behind only a large hall and a few rooms. The hall is about 280 feet long and filled on either side by booths occupied by printers and booksellers. Above the booths, De Saussure says there are numerous flags and standards taken from England’s enemies.