Why were the Houses of Parliament in London built next to the Thames?

TabbyTom

According to some, it was to ensure that in the event of a riot the mob couldn't surround the building on all sides. Sep 16 04, 2:03 PM

RickF

It's more likely to be a hang-over from the days when all important buildings were near the river, as it provided the easiest and quickest route. The current Palace of Westminster was, I believe, built on the site of the earlier Palace, destroyed by fire. Sep 17 04, 1:09 AM

Stew54

That's true Rick. The original Palace of Westminster was built there in the 11th Century, and it remained a royal palace of residence for some hundreds of years. Its location was chosen partly for defence and partly to allow access by barge. The very first (occasional) parliaments met there, and it became the traditional home for parliament long before parliament had any real legislative authority. The current buildings date mainly from the mid 19th Century when most of the Palace of Westminster had to be rebuilt after a massive fire. The part of the palace that contains the House of Commons was rebuilt again (but in the same style) in the 1940s because it had suffered major bomb damage during the Blitz. Sep 17 04, 1:53 AM

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