Name: Jewel Tower
Rating: 5.0

Jewel Tower

Abingdon Street, Westminster, Great College Street, London, UK

1-99 Years

Paid

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Description

Jewel Tower Tucked away between the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey is the Jewel Tower, a compact English Heritage site whose size does not reflect its significance. Visit and explore three floors of displays tracing its history as a royal Tudor storeroom, a House of Lords record archive and then the National Weights and Measures Office. It was here in this small building that the value of weights and measures for Britain and its entire empire were determined.

You’ll also see digital reconstructions of Westminster Hall, St Stephen’s church and the Palace of Westminster as they were before the disastrous 1834 fire. Other treasures on show include the 11th-century Westminster Capitals and the Anglo-Saxon Palace of Westminster Sword.

Price starts from £7.50 for Adults, £4.00 for Children(5-17 years) and £11.50 for Family(1 adult, up to 3 children). If you are looking for Best place for day out with kids and families then this is the perfect destination offering fun, adventure, and unforgettable memories for everyone.

Features

Paid
Host birthday parties: No

Features

History of the Jewel Tower: The Jewel Tower is a precious survival from the medieval Palace of Westminster. It was built in the 1360s as a secure store for royal treasure within the private palace of Edward III. Later it became the records office of the House of Lords, surviving the fire which in 1834 destroyed much of the historic palace. Later still, it served as a testing facility, determining the value of weights and measures for Britain and its empire. From the 1950s demolition of nearby buildings, landscaping works and archaeological investigations have brought to light important features of the tower’s setting.
Construction and Early Use: The Jewel Tower was built between 1365 and 1366 at the extreme southern end of the Palace of Westminster, which was nominally the chief residence of medieval English kings from the 11th to the 16th century.[1] This area was known as the Privy Palace, a residential complex of hall, chambers and chapels for the royal family, removed from the more public law courts and Exchequer in and around Westminster Hall.
The Tudors: In 1512 parts of the Privy Palace were destroyed by fire,[8] and the use of Westminster as a royal residence effectively ended. This state of affairs became irrevocable after 1529 when Henry VIII (r.1509–47) acquired the nearby Whitehall Palace (formerly York Place, the residence of Cardinal Wolsey as Archbishop of York), and proceeded to rebuild it.
The Parliament Office: Sometime before 1600, the former Jewel House was transferred to the Clerk of the Parliaments, the official who recorded sittings and committee meetings of the House of Lords. In that year a new timber-framed house for the clerk was built against the eastern front of the tower, while the tower’s first floor became a repository for the Acts of Parliament, Lords’ journals and minute-books.[11] (The ground-floor rooms became the kitchen and scullery for the clerk's house; the function of the second floor is unknown.)[12] In 1621 a brick vault was added to the smaller first-floor room, the first of many measures to protect the tower’s contents against fire.
18th-century Transformation: By the early 18th century, two problems had become evident: the medieval tower was in a ruinous condition, and the volume of documents on the first floor had become unmanageable.
Weights and Measures: In 1869 the Jewel Tower became a testing facility for the Board of Trade Standards Department, often known as Weights and Measures.[19] The two lower floors were testing rooms, while the second floor contained historic standards of weight, volume and dimension.
Ancient Monument: The roof of the Jewel Tower was badly burned by incendiary bombs in May 1941. From 1948 the Ministry of Works undertook repairs (almost entirely replacing the roof), presenting the building as a monument of the 14th and 18th centuries and using it to display objects found in archaeological excavations in London.
Gardens: There are some small grassy areas surrounding the building with benches and tables, although no 'grounds' as such. The remains of a moat and medieval quay are still visible outside.
Exhibition: There are two exhibitions at the Jewel Tower. 'Parliament Past and Present' is about the history of Parliament. The second exhibition is the story of this small but important building. Artefacts on display include speaker's robes, an Anglo-Saxon sword, historic weights and measures and Norman stone capitals. Note: the upper floor is not wheelchair accessible and can only be reached by a steep spiral staircase of roughly 40 steps.

Facilities

Parking: There’s no parking at the Jewel Tower. The nearest, charged parking is the Abingdon Street underground car park (not managed by English Heritage), around 400m away.
Food And Drink: There is a cafe selling a selection of hot drinks as well as sandwiches, biscuits, crisps, cakes and ice creams. The cafe is wheelchair accessible.
Toilets: There are no toilets on the site. The closest WC is at Westminster underground station, exits 1 and 6 (5 minutes’ walk away).
Dogs: No dogs allowed, although assistance dogs are welcome.

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Price

Price: Paid

Price Details

Advance online tickets:

Adult: £7.50 With donation & £6.80 Without donation.
Child (5–17 years): £4.00 With donation & £3.60 Without donation.
Family (2 adults, up to 3 children): £19.00 With donation & £17.20 Without donation.
Family (1 adult, up to 3 children): £11.50 With donation & £10.40 Without donation.
Concession: £6.50 With donation & £5.90 Without donation.
Member: Free.

On the day tickets:

Adult: £9.00 With donation & £8.10 Without donation.
Child (5–17 years): £5.00 With donation & £4.50 Without donation.
Family (2 adults, up to 3 children): £23.00 With donation & £20.70 Without donation.
Family (1 adult, up to 3 children): £14.00 With donation & £12.60 Without donation.
Concession: £8.00 With donation & £7.20 Without donation.
Member: Free.

Pricing URL: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/jewel-tower/prices-and-opening-times/

Birthday Parties

Offer Birthday Parties: No

Open Daily: 10am - 5pm (last entry at 4.30pm)

Address: Abingdon Street, Westminster, Great College Street, London, UK

Post Code: SW1P 3JX

Council: Westminster

County: Greater London

Road Access: On Abingdon Street, opposite the southern end of the Houses of Parliament (near the Victoria Tower).
Bus Access: From surrounding areas.
Train Access: Victoria and Charing Cross 3⁄4 mile, Waterloo 1 mile. London Victoria station and Charing Cross station are 3⁄4 mile from the Jewel Tower; London Waterloo station is 1 mile away.
Bicycle Access: Find your cycling route to the Jewel Tower at sustrans.org.uk, the National Cycle Network.
Tube Access: St James’s Park station (Circle and District Line) and Westminster station on the Circle and District and the Jubilee lines are both ¼ mile from the Jewel Tower.
Parking: There’s no parking at the Jewel Tower. The nearest, charged parking is the Abingdon Street underground car park (not managed by English Heritage), around 400m away.