Palace of Westminster

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Jewel Tower

In the civil parish of City Of Westminster. In the historic county of Middlesex (Modern Authority of London Borough of Westminster, 1974 county of Greater London).

The Palace at Westminster is sited on Thorney Island and was built close to the Abbey of Westminster from about 1040 onwards. For over 500 years it remained the principal palace of the sovereign, and housed the principal Courts of Justice, the Exchequer, and administrative offices of the kingdom. The Jewel Tower was the Royal Treasure House, later repository, forming the South-West corner of the former Privy Palace of Westminster. 1364-6 by Henry Yevele with windows and parapets renewed in 1718-9. L-plan tower with North polygonal stair-turret. The Jewel Tower was used as a treasury from 1366. By the end of Henry VIII's reign, it had been replaced as a treasury. Following war damage, it was restored and opened to the public, its moat being re-excavated. The quay retaining walls of the dock which antedates the Jewel Tower were excavated in 1963-4 and now form the retaining walls of the moat. World Heritage Site.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law. This is a Grade 1 listed building protected by law*. (Images of England number 421946)

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is TQ30147938

Air Photo from Air Photo and general mapping	1st edition OS Map from Mid to late 19th century maps
Modern Map from Landscape form and features	Modern Map from General location and route planning
Geograph British Isles occasionally has photos of the site and will usually give an idea of the surrounding landscape.

Sources of information, references and further reading

This site's English Heritage (PastScape) Defra or Monument number is 404438; 1102544
Further information may be available from the holder of the county Historic Environment Record. In particular 'grey' literature, such as watching brief reports, held by H.E.R.s is often poorly referenced and is unlikely to be recorded in this website, or elsewhere.

• Web site links
  • http://www.castles-abbeys.co.uk/Various-Pictures2.html
    http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/server/show/conProperty.104
    http://www.oldlondonmaps.com/viewspages/0486.html
    http://www.oldlondonmaps.com/viewspages/0485.html
    http://www.oldlondonmaps.com/oldlondonmapimages/smith/smith019.jpg
• Books
  • Emery, Anthony, 2006, Greater Medieval Houses Vol3 (Cambridge) p252-9
    Thomas, Christopher, Cowie, Robert and Sidell, Jane, 2005, The Royal Palace, Abbey and Town of Westminster on Thorney Island (London; Museum of London Archaeology Service Monograph 22)
    Goodall, J.A.A., 2000, in C. and J. Ridding (eds) The Houses of Parliament: History, Art, and Architecture p49-68
    Keevill, Graham D., 2000, Medieval Palaces, An Archaeology (Stroud; Tempus) p14, 19-20, 22-3, 25-8, 54, 56, 62, 64, 72, 77, 83, 86, 99-103, 115, 127, 157 [plans]
    Thurley, Simon, 1997, 'Whitehall Palace and Westminster 1400-1600 : a royal seat in transition' in Gaimster, David R. M. and Stamper, Paul, The age of transition : the archaeology of English culture 1400-1600 (Oxbow monograph, 98; The Society for Medieval Archaeology Monograph, 15) p93-104
    Cherry, John and Stratford, Neil, 1995, Westminster Kings and the Palace of Westminster (Britsh Museum Occasional Paper 115)
    Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge) p150-1
    Thurley, Simon, 1993, The Royal Palaces of Tudor England (Yale University Press)
    James, T.B., 1990, The Palaces of Medieval England (London; Seaby)
    Cooke, R., 1987, The Palace of Westminster
    Binski, P., 1986, The Painted Chamber at Westminster (London)
    Colvin, H.M., Ransome, D.R. and Summerson, John, 1982, The history of the King's Works, vol4: 1485-1660 (part 2) (London) p286-300
    Colvin, H.M., Ransome, D.R. and Summerson, John, 1975, The history of the King's Works, vol3: 1485-1660 (part 1) (London)
    Pevsner, N. (Revised by Cherry, Bridget), 1973, The Buildings of England: London, 1: the Cities of London and Westminster (London, Penguin) p520-33
    Colvin, H.M. (ed), 1966, Architectural History Vol9 p23-184
    Colvin, H.M., Brown, R.Allen and Taylor, A.J., 1963, The history of the King's Works Vol2: the Middle Ages (London: HMSO) p491-552
    Colvin, H.M., Brown, R.Allen and Taylor, A.J., 1963, The history of the King's Works, vol1: the Middle Ages (London) p45-7
    RCHME, 1925, Inventory of Historic Monuments in London Vol2: West London (HMSO) p121-24
    Turner, T.H. and Parker, J.H., 1859, Some account of Domestic Architecture in England (Oxford) Vol3 pt2 p282
    Brayley, E.W. and Britton, E., 1836, The History of the Ancient Palace and Late Houses of Parliament at Westminster (London)
• Journal Articles
  • Crook, John and Harris, Roland B., 2002, 'Reconstructing the Lesser Hall : an interim report from the Medieval Palace of Westminster Research Project'. Parliamentary History Vol21:1 p22-61
    Hayward, Maria Anne, 2002, 'The 1542 inventory of the Palace of Westminster' History Today Vol52:11 p7-8
    Courtenay, L.T., 1990, 'The Westminster Hall roof : a new archaeological source' Journal of the British Archaeological Association Vol143 p95-111
    Horsman, Valerie and Davison, Brian, 1989, 'The New Palace Yard and its Fountains: Excavations in the Palace of Westminster, 1972-4' Antiquaries Journal Vol69 p279-97
    Thompson, M.W., 1986, 'Associated monasteries and castles in the Middle Ages: a tentative list' The Archaeological Journal Vol143 p320
    Green, H.J.M., 1976, 'Excavation of the palace defences and abbey precinct wall at Abingdon Street, Westminster, 1963' Journal of the British Archaeological Association Vol129
    Cooper, I.M., 1937, 'Westminster Hall' Journal of the British Archaeological Association, 3rd ser., Vol1 p168-228
    Lethaby, W.R., 1906, 'The palace of Westminster in the eleventh and twelfth centuries' Archaeologia Vol40
• Guidebooks
  • Gerhold, Dorian, 1999, Westminster Hall: nine hundred years of history (London: James & James)
    Taylor, A.J., 1997, The Jewel Tower, Westminster (London: English Heritage)
    Taylor, A.J., 1956, The Jewel Tower (London; HMSO)
    Baines, F., 1914, Westminster Hall (London; HMSO)
• Primary (Medieval documents or transcriptions of such documents - This section is far from complete and the secondary sources should be consulted for full references.)
  • William FitzStephen, c. 1180, 'A description of London' Translated in Henry Thomas Riley (ed), 1860, Liber Custumarum. Rolls Series,no12, vol2 p2-15 [http://www.trytel.com/%7Etristan/towns/florilegium/introduction/intro01.html#p04]
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • Speed, John, 1611-12, The Theatre of the Empire of Great Britain [http://faculty.oxy.edu/horowitz/home/johnspeed/Cities28.htm]
    William Camden, 1607, Britannia [http://www.philological.bham.ac.uk/cambrit/midlesexeng.html#mids17]
    Kingsford, C.L. (ed), 1908, A Survey of London, by John Stow: Reprinted from the text of 1603 Vol2 p97-124 http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=60057