Essential Hotels > England > London > Westminster

Westminster is home to a wealth of impressive features; around virtually every corner there is a well known sight, museum or popular place to visit. It is in this part of London that you might see tourists stopping to gawp and ask a passer-by to take a snap of them with a landmark in the background or a Londoner scuttling past on their way to work seemingly without noticing the oft-inspiring surroundings. This is, perhaps, part of the beauty – many of the district’s features are very much in use today, adding even now to the developing history and prestige for which they are known.

The section of the nation’s capital is often synonymous with ‘the government’ and it is clear why. The UK’s legislature and executive are both set in the Westminster area in question in the form of the simply stunning Palace of Westminster and Downing Street, the latter of which is home to the Prime Minister of the day. Further, the Head of State’s primary residence, Buckingham Palace, is situated in the area and it is not uncommon to see visitors queued up outside the palace gates to take photographs and to watch the changing of the guard.

Set within the wider Greater London area Westminster is actually a city in its own right but the term is also used to describe a smaller district of London. Found on the north bank of the River Thames, Belgravia is to the west, Mayfair and the West End are to the north and the South Bank is to the south and east on the other side of the water. Despite the inevitable hustle and bustle of this central London space there are a couple of major parks which are ideal for leisurely walks, morning jogs and other fun activities and they go by the names Green Park and St James’ Park.

A long and glamorous history is intertwined with Westminster, what with its staggering buildings and famous sights. It has been the seat of the UK government for in the region of 1,000 years and the palace of Westminster was used as a royal residence from the year 1066 onwards. After this the monarchy lived in the Palace of Whitehall, also in today’s Westminster. The Catholic and Anglican headquarters – Westminster Cathedral and Westminster Abbey - reside within Westminster’s boundaries and the latter has hosted state funerals and coronations for many years. Meanwhile, other well known additions include Scotland Yard, the Apollo Theatre, Victoria train station, the Horse Guards Parade, the Cabinet War Rooms and the Tate Britain Museum.