New Palace Yard

Last updated

New Palace Yard
New Palace Yard, Westminster.jpg
View of New Palace Yard in 2017, looking south-east
TypeOpen courtyard
Location Westminster, London, England
Coordinates 51°30′02″N0°07′31″W / 51.5005°N 0.1254°W / 51.5005; -0.1254
Area Palace of Westminster
Builtcirca 1100
Governing body Parliament of the United Kingdom
Greater London UK location map 2.svg
Red pog.svg
Location of New Palace Yard in Greater London

New Palace Yard is a yard (area of grounds) northwest of the Palace of Westminster in Westminster, London, England. It is part of the grounds not open to the public. However, it can be viewed from the two adjoining streets, as a result of Edward Middleton Barry, who also assisted with its landscaping, having used railings rather than walls or fencing in its design. The yard has existed since about the year 1100, but was greatly reduced in the 18th century to allow for the construction of new streets and buildings, the most notable of which is the wing taking up the eastern end and having the most prominent tower of the current palace. Speaker's Green fronts the Thames. An underground car park used by Members of Parliament is beneath. Before latest incarnations of the palace, the yard was an open public space used diversely such as for speeches, tournaments, pilloryings, and executions. It has twice been the scene of terrorist attacks.

Contents

Location

The colonnade along the east side of New Palace Yard New Palace Yard arcade, Palace of Westminster.jpg
The colonnade along the east side of New Palace Yard

New Palace Yard takes up the north-west corner of the grounds of the Palace of Westminster. It is bordered to the north by Bridge Street, to the east by the Palace's North Front and Big Ben, to the south by Westminster Hall and to the west by Parliament Square. It is accessed from Parliament Square via the Carriage Gates. Underneath the yard is a five-level underground car park with 450 spaces for the cars of Members of Parliament, which was built in the 1970s. [1] [2] Westminster Hall's north end is accessed via the yard, which is also the site of the Members' Entrance to the House of Commons. A public arcade along the Westminster Bridge side of Speaker's Green descends to a walkway under Bridge Street connecting Westminster tube station and Westminster Pier beneath the Victoria Embankment.

Description

The Jubilee Fountain in New Palace Yard Jubilee Fountain (16557589140).jpg
The Jubilee Fountain in New Palace Yard

The yard is laid out as a garden with a formal avenue of lime trees, benches of Portland stone and a central lawn surrounded by an oval roadway. Around the outside are a number of old catalpa trees. A fountain in the central lawn was installed in 1977 to commemorate the Silver Jubilee of Elizabeth II and recalls the lost medieval fountain of Henry VI. [1] The fountain stands in an octagonal pool in the centre of which is a large welded steel sculpture by Walenty Pytel. The sculpture is decorated with depictions of birds and beasts from six continents and is surmounted by a gilded crown. [3]

History

The name of New Palace Yard refers to the first Palace of Westminster, built by the Anglo-Saxon king Edward the Confessor around 1050. The yard was created after William II of England constructed Westminster Hall in 1097 and was given the appellation "New" to distinguish it from Old Palace Yard a few hundred metres further south. For several hundred years, it was probably a patch of low-lying open marshy ground or perhaps even an inlet, prone to flooding up to very recent times. A rapid increase in the level of the Thames necessitated the construction of a river wall on the yard's eastern side in the 12th century. [4] It was reclaimed by laying down cobbles on successive layers of debris that had accumulated over the years [5] and was laid out as an open space by the late thirteenth or early fourteenth century. Thereafter, as Westminster grew, the yard came to be surrounded by buildings and walls. [4]

The yard's function in relation to the Palace of Westminster was similar to that of an outer bailey in a castle. It was one of three yards in the palace: New Palace Yard was the outer ward, a large open space which the general populace could access; the Green Yard was the middle ward, where the royal administration and the great offices of state were located; and Old Palace Yard was the inner ward, where the royal apartments were located. [4]

The interior of the yard was dominated for centuries by a large cupola-topped fountain built by Henry VI in 1443, which stood until the late 17th century. [1] According to the 16th century historian John Stow, the fountain, which was known as the Great Conduit, was made to run with wine to mark coronations and other great state events. [6] The remains of the fountain were rediscovered in the 1970s during the construction of the underground car park. [1]

Several executions and mutilations took place there: in 1580 the Puritan attorney John Stubbs and his servant William Page both had their hands cut off as punishment for libelling Queen Elizabeth I, while in 1612 the Scottish nobleman Robert Crichton, 8th Lord Crichton of Sanquhar, was hanged in the yard for murder. [7] Lesser criminals were publicly exposed in a pillory erected on the site. Two such were the pretender Perkin Warbeck, pilloried in 1498, and Titus Oates, pilloried there during the reign of King James II for the Popish Plot. The last person to be pilloried in the yard was John Williams, the publisher of The North Briton newspaper in 1765. [3]

Tournaments and royal festivities were also staged there. [8] On one occasion, when Catherine of Aragon married Arthur, Prince of Wales in 1501, a grand tournament was held in New Palace Yard. A stand was erected for the King on the south side of the yard and challengers exited Westminster Hall on horseback. They proceeded into the yard accompanied by a pageant-car which was drawn by four animals and carried a "fair young lady" on "a goodly chair of cloth of gold". Jousting is last recorded to have taken place in the yard in 1547 when Edward VI was crowned. [9]

Changes to the layout of New Palace Yard

New Palace Yard was originally much larger than it is today. An etching by Wenceslaus Hollar, published in 1647, shows the area as an enclosed rectangle with houses flanking Westminster Hall on both sides, Henry VI's fountain and stands for coaches in the centre, a row of shops, taverns and coffee-houses on the north side and a large square gatehouse on the west side giving access to King Street, built by Henry VIII in 1532 and demolished in 1723. [10] The gatehouse was built by Richard III [10] and stood until 1707. A tower to the north side was built under Edward I and was demolished in 1715; it housed the bell known as Great Tom. [11]

Many of the buildings around New Palace Yard were swept away in the 1750s by the urban redevelopment that accompanied the construction of Westminster Bridge. Bridge Street was built to the north of the yard, Parliament Street to connect the Palace with Charing Cross, and Abingdon Street to connect it with Millbank. [12] A row of buildings separated the yard from Bridge Street until they were demolished in 1866–7, opening up the yard to public view. [3]

In the 18th and 19th centuries, the perimeter of New Palace Yard was occupied by coffeehouses and taverns. It provided a site for public meetings such as the September 1838 rally in support of the People's Charter. [8] Public access to New Palace Yard was restricted from 1866 after a demonstration held in Hyde Park for parliamentary reform turned violent. Edward Barry was commissioned to enclose the yard with railings standing 7 feet (2.1 m) high, which were completed by February 1868. [8] The works entailed major changes to the fabric of the yard, the surface of which was lowered by as much as 3 metres (9.8 ft) in places. [13] The yard was occasionally opened to the public to attend public speeches by the likes of William Ewart Gladstone, but is now treated as a secure area, closed to the public. [8]

Between 1972 and 1974, an underground car park with 450 spaces was constructed underneath the yard for £2.5 million (equivalent to £35,100,000in 2021). [1] [2]

Terrorist attacks

New Palace Yard has twice been the scene of terrorist attacks. On 31 March 1979, an Irish National Liberation Army car bomb killed MP Airey Neave as he exited the underground car park at New Palace Yard. [14] On 22 March 2017, an Islamic terrorist crashed a car into the perimeter fence of the Palace grounds, after driving into pedestrians on the Westminster Bridge. [15] [16] After abandoning the vehicle, he ran into the New Palace Yard and fatally stabbed PC Keith Palmer, an unarmed police officer guarding the Carriage Gates. [17] His armed colleagues then shot at the terrorist who later died at the scene. [18] [19]

See also

Related Research Articles

The history of London, the capital city of England and the United Kingdom, extends over 2000 years. In that time, it has become one of the world's most significant financial and cultural capital cities. It has withstood plague, devastating fire, civil war, aerial bombardment, terrorist attacks, and riots.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palace of Westminster</span> Meeting place of the Parliament of the United Kingdom

The Palace of Westminster serves as the meeting place for both the House of Commons and the House of Lords, the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Informally known as the Houses of Parliament, the Palace lies on the north bank of the River Thames in the City of Westminster, in central London, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scotland Yard</span> Headquarters of the Metropolitan Police Service, Westminster, Greater London

Scotland Yard is the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police, the territorial police force responsible for policing Greater London's 32 boroughs. Its name derives from the location of the original Metropolitan Police headquarters at 4 Whitehall Place, which had its main public entrance on the Westminster street called Great Scotland Yard. The Scotland Yard entrance became the public entrance, and over time "Scotland Yard" came to be used not only as the common name of the headquarters building, but also as a metonym for the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) itself and police officers, especially detectives, who serve in it. The New York Times wrote in 1964 that, just as Wall Street gave its name to New York's financial district, Scotland Yard became the name for police activity in London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charing Cross</span> The point from which distances from London are measured

Charing Cross is a junction in Westminster, London, England, where six routes meet. Clockwise from north these are: the east side of Trafalgar Square leading to St Martin's Place and then Charing Cross Road; the Strand leading to the City; Northumberland Avenue leading to the Thames Embankment; Whitehall leading to Parliament Square; The Mall leading to Admiralty Arch and Buckingham Palace; and two short roads leading to Pall Mall. Historically, the name was derived from the hamlet of Charing ('Riverbend') that occupied the area of this important road junction in the middle ages, together with the grand Eleanor Cross that once marked the site. Thus, the name also commonly refers to the 19th century Queen Eleanor Memorial Cross at nearby Charing Cross station, erected in memory of that earlier cross.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trafalgar Square</span> Public square in London, England

Trafalgar Square is a public square in the City of Westminster, Central London, established in the early 19th century around the area formerly known as Charing Cross. The square's name commemorates the Battle of Trafalgar, the British naval victory in the Napoleonic Wars over France and Spain that took place on 21 October 1805 off the coast of Cape Trafalgar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vauxhall</span> District of London

Vauxhall is a district in South West London, part of the London Borough of Lambeth, England. Vauxhall was part of Surrey until 1889 when the County of London was created. Named after a medieval manor, "Fox Hall", it became well known for the Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles Barry</span> British architect

Sir Charles BarryFRS RA was a British architect, best known for his role in the rebuilding of the Palace of Westminster in London during the mid-19th century, but also responsible for numerous other buildings and gardens. He is known for his major contribution to the use of Italianate architecture in Britain, especially the use of the Palazzo as basis for the design of country houses, city mansions and public buildings. He also developed the Italian Renaissance garden style for the many gardens he designed around country houses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whitehall</span> Road in the City of Westminster, in Central London

Whitehall is a road and area in the City of Westminster, Central London, England. The road forms the first part of the A3212 road from Trafalgar Square to Chelsea. It is the main thoroughfare running south from Trafalgar Square towards Parliament Square. The street is recognised as the centre of the Government of the United Kingdom and is lined with numerous departments and ministries, including the Ministry of Defence, Horse Guards and the Cabinet Office. Consequently, the name "Whitehall" is used as a metonym for the British civil service and government, and as the geographic name for the surrounding area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parliamentary Estate</span> Location in England

The Parliamentary Estate is the land and buildings used by the Parliament of the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Strand, London</span> Major thoroughfare in the City of Westminster, London, England

Strand is a major thoroughfare in the City of Westminster, Central London. The street, which is part of London's West End theatreland, runs just over 3⁄4 mile (1.2 km) from Trafalgar Square eastwards to Temple Bar, where the road becomes Fleet Street in the City of London, and is part of the A4, a main road running west from inner London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lambeth Palace</span> Official London residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury

Lambeth Palace is the official London residence of the archbishop of Canterbury. It is situated in north Lambeth, London, on the south bank of the River Thames, 400 yards south-east of the Palace of Westminster, which houses Parliament, on the opposite bank.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">London Victoria station</span> London Underground and railway station

Victoria station, also known as London Victoria, is a central London railway terminus and connected London Underground station in Victoria, in the City of Westminster, managed by Network Rail. Named after the nearby Victoria Street, the main line station is a terminus of the Brighton Main Line to Gatwick Airport and Brighton and the Chatham Main Line to Ramsgate and Dover via Chatham. From the main lines, trains can connect to the Catford Loop Line, the Dartford Loop Line, and the Oxted line to East Grinstead and Uckfield. Southern operates most commuter and regional services to south London, Sussex and parts of east Surrey, while Southeastern operates trains to south-east London and Kent, alongside limited services operated by Thameslink. Gatwick Express trains run direct to Gatwick. The Underground station is on the Circle and District lines between Sloane Square and St James's Park, and the Victoria line between Pimlico and Green Park. The area around the station is an important interchange for other forms of transport: a local bus station is in the forecourt and Victoria Coach Station is nearby.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Westminster tube station</span> London Underground station

Westminster is a London Underground station in the City of Westminster. It is served by the Circle, District and Jubilee lines. On the Circle and District lines, the station is between St James's Park and Embankment, and on the Jubilee line it is between Green Park and Waterloo. It is in Travelcard Zone 1. The station is located at the corner of Bridge Street and Victoria Embankment and is close to the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, Parliament Square, Whitehall, Westminster Bridge, and the London Eye. Also close by are Downing Street, the Cenotaph, Westminster Millennium Pier, the Treasury, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and the Supreme Court.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Westminster Bridge</span> Bridge over the River Thames in London

Westminster Bridge is a road-and-foot-traffic bridge over the River Thames in London, linking Westminster on the west side and Lambeth on the east side.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Belgravia</span> District in Greater London, England

Belgravia is a district in Central London, covering parts of the areas of the City of Westminster and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St James's Park</span> Royal Park in the City of Westminster, central London

St James's Park is a 23-hectare (57-acre) urban park in the City of Westminster, central London. A Royal Park, it is at the southernmost end of the St James's area, which was named after a once isolated medieval hospital dedicated to St James the Less, now the site of St James's Palace. The area was initially enclosed for a deer park near the Palace of Whitehall for King Henry VIII in the 1530's. It is the most easterly of a near-continuous chain of public parks that includes Green Park, Hyde Park, and Kensington Gardens.

The following is a timeline of the history of London, the capital of England and the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2017 Westminster attack</span> Terrorist attack in London

On 22 March 2017, a terrorist attack took place outside the Palace of Westminster in London, seat of the British Parliament. Khalid Masood, a 52-year-old Briton, drove a car into pedestrians on the pavement along the south side of Westminster Bridge and Bridge Street, injuring more than 50 people, four of them fatally. He then crashed the car into the perimeter fence of the palace grounds and ran into New Palace Yard, where he fatally stabbed an unarmed police officer. He was then shot by an armed police officer, and died at the scene.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Old and New Palace Yards". Houses of Parliament . Retrieved 12 May 2010.
  2. 1 2 Fell, Bryan H.; Mackenzie, Kenneth R.; Natzler, D. L. (1988). The Houses of Parliament: a guide to the Palace of Westminster. H.M.S.O. p. 17. ISBN   978-0-11-701392-6.
  3. 1 2 3 Weinreb, Ben; Hibbert, Christopher (1993). The London Encyclopaedia. Papermac. ISBN   978-0-333-57688-5.
  4. 1 2 3 Thomas, Christopher; Cowie, Robert; Sidell, Jane (2006). The Royal Palace, Abbey and Town of Westminster on Thorney Island: Archaeological Excavations (1991-8) for the London Underground Limited Jubilee Line Extension Project. Museum of London Archaeology Service. p. 158. ISBN   978-1-901992-50-2.
  5. ↑ McKay, Chris (27 May 2010). Big Ben: the Great Clock and the Bells at the Palace of Westminster. OUP Oxford. pp. 32–. ISBN   978-0-19-958569-4.
  6. ↑ Archer, Jayne Elisabeth; Goldring, Elizabeth; Knight, Sarah (2007). The Progresses, Pageants, and Entertainments of Queen Elizabeth I. Oxford University Press. p. 6. ISBN   978-0-19-160879-7.
  7. ↑ Bard, Robert (2013). Tyburn: The Story of London's Gallows. Amberley Publishing Limited. p. 538. ISBN   978-1-4456-1571-4.
  8. 1 2 3 4 Shepherd, Robert (2012). Westminster: A Biography: From Earliest Times to the Present. A&C Black. p. 285. ISBN   978-0-8264-2380-1.
  9. ↑ Gerhold, Dorian (1999). Westminster Hall: nine hundred years of history. James & James. p. 29. ISBN   0907383890.
  10. 1 2 Pepys, Samuel (2001). The Diary of Samuel Pepys: A New and Complete Transcription. University of California Press. p. 475. ISBN   978-0-520-22715-6.
  11. ↑ Shakespeare, William (1839). The Pictorial Edition of the Works of W. Shakespeare, 1: Histories. Charles Knight and Company. p. 85.
  12. ↑ Sawyer, Sean (2003). "Delusions of National Grandeur: Reflections on the Intersection of Architecture and History at the Palace of Westminster, 1789–1834". Transactions of the Royal Historical Society: Volume 13: Sixth Series. Cambridge University Press. p. 239. ISBN   978-0-521-83076-8.
  13. ↑ "New Palace Yard, Westminster". The Builder: 29. 11 January 1868.
  14. ↑ Hoggart, Simon (31 March 1979). "Car bomb kills MP Airey Neave". The Guardian . Retrieved 26 March 2017.
  15. ↑ Gilchrist, Karen (23 March 2017). "London police name Parliament attacker as British-born Khalid Masood, age 52". CNBC. Retrieved 24 March 2017.
  16. ↑ "London attack: Four dead in Westminster terror attack". BBC News. 22 March 2017.
  17. ↑ "London attack – latest updates". BBC News. Retrieved 22 March 2017.
  18. ↑ Boyle, Danny; Evans, Martin (22 March 2017). "Parliament shooting: Knifeman shot by police after charging through Westminster gates and stabbing officer". The Daily Telegraph . Retrieved 22 March 2017.
  19. ↑ Rayner, Gordon; McCann, Kate (23 March 2017). "London attack: Cabinet minister's bodyguard shot Westminster terrorist". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 24 March 2017.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.