Thesaurus

Inner borough of central Greater London, located on the north bank of the River Thames between Kensington and the City of London. Westminster encompasses many of London's famous structures and parks including the royal residence of Buckingham Palace, 16th-century St. James's Palace, Marlborough House, and Westminster Hall (1097-1401), the only surviving part of the Palace of Westminster built by William II. The Houses of Parliament with Big Ben, Whitehall, Downing Street (homes of the prime minister at number 10 and the chancellor of the Exchequer at number 11) are likewise found here. Also here are Green Park, St. James's Park, and Hyde Park (with the Albert Memorial (1876) opposite the Royal Albert Hall (1871). Trafalgar Square is home to the National Gallery, the National Portrait Gallery, and the church of St. Martin in the Fields (designed by James Gibb, 1722-24). The Palace of Westminster, Westminster Abbey, and St. Margaret's Church are a World Heritage site. This area was the site of battles between Parliament & Charles I during English Civil War (1642-1645). The abbey was first built by the first bishop of London, Mellitus, in 616; the current abbey dates from 1245 and is built on the site of the Saxon church.