Jewel Tower

The small stone tower across the road from Parliament is one of the few pieces of the medieval Palace of Westminster still standing, and it fills in the story the Victorian building hides. It was built in 1365-66 as a secure store for Edward III's treasure, then became the House of Lords' record office, holding Acts of Parliament and the Lords' journals. Its position saved those records when the fire of 1834 gutted much of the old palace. Later it housed the office where Britain's official weights and measures were set, a reminder that governing includes the dull essentials. It is an English Heritage site, open on weekends only, 10am to 4pm, and a quick visit that pairs well with a morning in Parliament Square.