When the Romans first arrived in England in the first century AD， they built a military fort on the banks of the River Ouse. The town of Eboracum grew up around the fort， and strong walls were built to enclose both the fort and town. These walls form the basis of the York city walls that remain today. The most notable
notable adj. 值得注意的，显着的，着名的 Roman remain is the Multiangular Tower in the Museum Gardens， which has ten sides and stands almost 30 feet high.
The old Roman walls were in a poor state of repair by the time of the Danish occupation of the city in 867. The Danes restored the walls， and left the AngloSaxon tower near the Public Library - the only such tower remaining in England.
The majority of the wall dates from the 12th to the 14th centuries， with a few small areas which were restored in the Victorian period. The main gateways into the old city stand at Bootham Bar， Monk Bar， Walmgate Bar and Micklegate Bar. The rectangular gatehouse of Micklegate Bar marks the main entrance to the city. It is also the traditional entry point for kings and queens visiting York. It now houses a small museum， which traces the history of the Bar and the city itself.
Micklegate Bar was also the place where traitor，s heads were displayed to deter rebellion. Some famous (and infamous) heads which decorateddecorate v.装饰， 为……做室内装修 it include Henry “Hotspur” Percy (1403)， Lord Scrope (1415)， Richard， Duke of York (1461)， and the Earl of Northumberland (1572). Heads were often left on top the Bar for a number of years.
Bootham Bar contains some of the earliest medieval stonework in the walls， with the oldest sections dating to the 11th century， though much of what can be seen today is from the 14th and 19th centuries. Monk Bar is the most elaborate of the city gates. It has a fourstorey gatehousegatehouse n.警卫室， 门房 which dates from the early 14th century. It is now home to the Richard III Museum， where visitors can attend a modern “trial” of Shakespeare，s villain and decide for themselves if Richard was the prototypical evil uncle， or a maligned and courageouscourageous adj.勇敢的， 有胆量的 king.
The medieval Bar walls almost completely surround the city of York， spanning between the ancient entrance gates into the city called Bars. The longest section is accessible from Micklegate bar near the Railway station and the most popular section adjacent to the Minster is accessible from Bootham or Monkgate Bars. A plan of the walls can be seen on the Map of York city.
The earliest City Walls surrounding York were constructed by the Romans in the 1st century. The first stone walls were built by the Normans in the reign of William the Conqueror around 1066. The remains of the walls that surround the city today date mainly from the 13th century， although some Norman work can still be seen.
A walk along the walls provides interesting panoramicpanoramic adj.全景的 views over the rooftops of the city and gives you an excellent introduction to York. The Richard III Museum is housed in Monk Bar. A complete circuit of the 2.5 miles of remaining walls can take up to two hours， but if this is too long then a visit to the most popular section overlooking the Minster and Deanery gardens is recommended. Micklegate Bar is considered to be the most important gate into York as it guarded the southern entry point traditionally used by the monarch， also heads of traitors were displayed here ending with the Jacobite rebels of 1745.
The walls are open to the public from 8 am until dusk and admission is free， they are accessible by staircasesstaircase n.楼梯 at each entrance gate or Bar. An early morning walk will avoid the crowds and provide plenty of Photo opportunities.
The Houses of Parliament
英国议会大厦
英国议会大厦位于伦敦市中心区的泰晤士河畔，是19世纪中期英国最主要的哥特式建筑。
大厦建立在泰晤士河畔一个近于梯形的地段上，主体部分沿着南北方向成平行的三肢展开，主立面长达273米，面向泰晤士河。各个部分之间的分段相连形成许多内院，大厦内的主要厅堂都在建筑物的中间。整个建筑占地3.5公顷，有上千个厅堂房间，楼梯近百个，走廊通往建筑物的各个角落，总长度达11千米。主立面的右侧突出部分是下院议长的官邸。整个建筑物中西南角的维多利亚塔最高，高达103米，此外，高达97米的钟楼也很引人注目，大钟的钟面直径达7米，面向四方，上有着名的“大笨钟”，重达26吨。四角的四个小尖塔虽然不是最高，但它们直接自地面升起，显得特别宏伟挺拔。这座大厦的所在地原来是一座王宫，王宫建于1060年，此后不断有增建。直到1512年亨利八世搬离之前，这里一直是王宫。
16世纪中叶以后，这里成为议会所在地。1834年，一场大火烧毁了宫殿建筑；1840年开始重建，设计师是巴里；1860年，这座建筑才完工。当时，英国正处于维多利亚时代，英国的国力正强盛。新建的议会大厦保留了原来王宫的一些存留部分，例如大厦西部突出部分就是原来王宫的大厅，而与维多利亚相对的一座角塔也是王宫旧物，名为“珍宝塔”。威斯敏斯特厅是大厦中最古老的部分，是旧王宫的一部分，其中主要部分建于11世纪，大厅的主要部分曾经在14至15世纪初重修。这座大厅长约69米，宽23米，高达17米。1822年以前，这座大厅曾用作最高法院。
在这座大厅内，曾经发生过英国历史上许多重大事件，如理查德二世被废黜，查理一世被宣判死刑，克伦威尔被宣布就任护国主等。这里还曾经举办过许多宫廷宴会，也举办过加冕典礼。穿过大厅，是着名的圣斯蒂芬门厅，门厅高达19米。而大厦中的中央大厅是整个大厦的交通枢纽，中央大厅的平面呈八角形，上部是一个拱顶，高达23米，从这里可以前往上院和下院。上院大厅位于中央大厅的南部，从中央大厅出发，穿过一个装饰精美的走廊和一个前厅就来到上院大厅，这里装饰非常华美，国王的御座位于大厅南端，宝座上有华盖。御座前是议长席，对着议长席的是红皮软垫的议员席。二战期间，由于下院被炸，下院的很多会议也常在这里召开，丘吉尔曾经在这里发表过许多着名演说。上院大厅长30米，宽和高都是14米。和上院位置对厅的是下院大厅，1941年5月，下院大厅遭到德军飞机的轰炸，战后重建。下院仍按哥特式风格装修，但相对简单一些。下院面积比上院略小，长23米，宽14米，高12.5米，大厅中间有346个座位，边廊还有91个座位，下院议长席位于大厅北面。开会的时候，内阁成员和执政党议员坐在议长的右侧，反对党和“影子内阁”成员则坐在议长的左侧。此外，大厦中还有许多着名的房间和走廊，它们是议会各委员会的办公室，上下两院的图书馆也在其中。
The Houses of Parliament， otherwise known as “The Palace of Westminster”， stands on the site where Edward the Confessor had the original palace built in the first half of the eleventh century. In 1547 the royal residence was moved to Whitehall Palace， but the Lords continued to meet at Westminster， while the commons met in St. Stephen，s Chapel. Ever since these early times， the Palace of Westminster has been home to the English Parliament.
In 1834 a fire broke out which destroyed much of the old palace， all that remained was the chapel crypt， The Jewel Tower and Westminster Hall. It was Lord Melbourne， the Prime Minister， who saved the great hall by arranging for the fire engines to be brought right into the hall and personally supervising the fire fighting operation.