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Date from

Date to (where known)

Location

Notes

1259

1512

Painted Chamber

Opening ceremony in Painted Chamber

1343

1800

White Chamber

White Chamber customary meeting place of Lords until union with Ireland

1343

Painted Chamber

House of Commons in Painted Chamber

1368

Lesser Chamber (Court of Requests)

House of Commons in lesser Chamber (Court of Requests)

1376

Chapter House and Abbey Refectory

House of Commons in Chapter House or Refectory of Abbey until mid-16th century

1536

House of Lords Chamber

Opening ceremony in House of Lords Chamber

1552

St Stephen’s Chapel

House of Commons in St Stephen’s Chapel c1552

1801

Court of Requests

House of Lords moves from White Chamber to Court of Requests

1834

House of Lords Library

Great Fire 16 October. House of Lords in House of Lords Library 23 October

1834

Room adjacent to House of Lords Library

Great Fire 16 October. House of Commons moved to a room adjacent to the House of Lords Library

1835

Painted Chamber

House of Lords moves from Court of Requests to Painted Chamber

1835

Court of Requests

House of Commons moves from St Stephen’s Chapel to Court of Requests

1847

Barry’s new House of Lords Chamber

House of Lords moves from Painted Chamber to Barry’s new Lords chamber in rebuilt Palace of Westminster

1852

Barry’s new House of Commons Chamber

House of Commons moves from Court of Requests to Barry Chamber in new, rebuilt Palace of Westminster

1941

House of Lords Chamber

Commons moves from its own Chamber to House of Lords Chamber after war damage to Commons chamber

1941

King’s Robing Room

House of Lords moves from its own Chamber to King’s Robing Room

1950

Gilbert Scotts’ House of Commons Chamber

House of Commons moves from Lords Chamber to its own rebuilt Chamber by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott

1951

Barry’s House of Lords Chamber

House of Lords moves from King’s Robing Room to its own former Chamber

Sources

The details given here have been taken from ‘The Meeting Places of the Houses of Parliament at Westminster’ by J C Sainty, in The Table: the journal of the Society of Clerks-at-the-Table in Commonwealth Parliaments, Volume XLIV 1976 and from the History of Parliament Trust: Survey, 1386–1421.

With thanks to Robert Harrison in the House of Lords Journal Office for his kind advice and assistance in the compilation of this list.

Further information

Further details of the buildings of the Palace of Westminster can be found in the following books:

  • Caroline Shenton: The Day Parliament Burned Down, OUP, 2012
  • John Field: Story of Parliament in the Palace of Westminster, James and James, 2011
  • Barry Stow: Palace of Westminster and Westminster Abbey including St Margaret’s Church, Atkins, 2004

Information on meeting places of the medieval Parliament can be found on the Living Heritage pages on the Parliament website.

Parliament: facts and figures

This series of publications contains data on various subjects relating to Parliament and Government. Topics include legislation, MPs, select committees, debates, divisions and Parliamentary procedure.

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Please send any comments or corrections to the Parliament & Constitution Centre. Suggestions for new lists welcomed.

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