Westminster

Westminster
Western facade of Westminster Abbey
Westminster is located in Greater London
Westminster
Westminster
Location within Greater London
OS grid referenceTQ295795
• Charing Cross0.58 mi (0.9 km) NEbE
London borough
Ceremonial countyGreater London
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townLONDON
Postcode districtSW1
Dialling code020
PoliceMetropolitan
FireLondon
AmbulanceLondon
UK Parliament
London Assembly
List of places
UK
England
London
51°29′41″N 00°08′07″W / 51.49472°N 0.13528°W / 51.49472; -0.13528

Westminster is the main settlement of the City of Westminster in London, England. It extends from the River Thames[1] to Oxford Street and has many famous landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, Westminster Cathedral, Trafalgar Square and much of the West End cultural centre including the entertainment precinct of West End Theatre.

The name (Old English: Westmynstre)[2] originated from the informal description of the abbey church and royal peculiar of St Peter's (Westminster Abbey), west of the City of London (until the English Reformation there was also an Eastminster, near the Tower of London, in the East End of London). The abbey's origins date from between the 7th and 10th centuries, but it rose to national prominence when rebuilt by Edward the Confessor in the 11th century. Westminster has been the home of England's government since about 1200, and from 1707 the Government of the United Kingdom. In 1539, it became a city.

Westminster is often used as a metonym to refer to the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which sits in the Palace of Westminster.

  1. ^ "London's Places" (PDF). London Plan. Greater London Authority. 2011. p. 46. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 April 2012. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
  2. ^ "Manuscript C: Cotton Tiberius C.i". asc.jebbo.co.uk. Archived from the original on 26 July 2011. Retrieved 24 November 2018. 'On þisum geare com Harold kyng of Eoforwic to Westmynstre'