\paperw3360 \margr0\margl0\ATXph11340 \plain \fs20 \f1 \fs22 Although the British Parliament has met on this site since the year 1512, the imposing Gothic building in which the t
wo parliamentary Houses convene today is actually a product of Victorian stylistic revival. In 1834 most of the original Westminster Palace was destroyed by fire. However, the medieval Westminster Hall survived, and it was imperative that the new design
should harmonise with this and the adjacent Westminster Abbey. The chosen designs by Charles Barry took their inspiration from the Perpendicular Gothic of the Henry VII Chapel. However, much of their impact is undoubtedly due to the brilliant Gothic det
ailing by Augustus Pugin, the man who was to provide the inspirational leadership in the forthcoming campaign for Gothic Revival.\par
The famous four-faced clock-tower that rises 106 metres above the Houses of Parliament is generally known as Big Ben. I
t takes its name from the huge 14-tonne bell that was hung there in 1858. The clock is the largest in Britain, its hollow copper minute-hand measuring 4.25 metres in length. It has kept exact time for the nation more or less continuously since 1859, when
it was first set in motion. The resonant chimes have become a symbol of Britain all over the world and are broadcast daily on BBC radio.\par
