Member of Parliament for Delyn, Rob Roberts, is encouraging his constituents to join in the celebrations to mark 150 years of the Palace of Westminster and learn more about its great history.
This year marks 150 years since the rebuilding work was completed on the Houses of Parliament, following the devasting fire of 1834 which swept through the Palace of Westminster, destroying both of the Houses of Parliament.
With the entire building ruined from the fire, a public competition was organised to redesign and rebuild the Palace of Westminster. The winner was architect Charles Barry, who was assisted by the young architect Augustus Pugin. Construction work on the Palace began in 1840, with the Palace finally completed in 1870.
Today, 150 years on, the Palace of Westminster stands proud – a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a Grade I listed building, home to the biggest clock in the UK and a symbol of democracy around the world.
Launched earlier this week, a series of limited edition stamps showing iconic views of both Houses will go on sale in Post Offices across the country and online, to commemorate 150 years of the Palace of Westminster.
These, and many other souvenirs to mark this historic anniversary can be accessed online here: https://www.shop.parliament.uk/collections/palace-of-westminster-at-150.
As part of the 150 celebrations, Parliament will also be running a series of online talks and online guided tours of the Palace of Westminster which will explore the history of the Palace and the heritage collections within it.
As part of the tour, guides will take constituents on a virtual tour through the Palace of Westminster recreating the on-site experience online.
Both the online tours and online guided talks will be run throughout August and September and can be accessed here, through the UK Parliament website: https://ukparliament.seetickets.com/content/ticket-options.
Commenting on the celebrations, Rob said:
“My enduring feeling upon walking onto the Parliamentary Estate back in December 2019 was an overwhelming sense of the history of the place. Of the amazing leaders that had gone before me. Of the struggles, the debates, the battles and the hard-fought victories that the place had delivered over the years to try to improve the lives of the people in the United Kingdom.
The Mother of Parliaments has not only a special place in the hearts of many Brits but is respected and even revered as a bastion of democracy around the world.
Some of the events planned by the House authorities are outstanding and I would encourage as many people as possible to attend the virtual tours and guided talks, and absolutely to visit the place personally when visitors are allowed back on the estate.
The magic and majesty of the building cannot be overstated. Not a day goes by when I don’t walk through the halls of Westminster and feel the heavy but honourable burden of representing my constituents to the best of my ability and the fabric of the building itself only adds to that feeling.”