The History of Parliament Trust is pleased to be a partner in an upcoming workshop, Re-Thinking Westminster Hall: A Place of Meeting and Contest, c.1650-1800, in the Jubilee Room, Westminster Hall, on 17 September 2026.

First constructed in the 11th century, Westminster Hall is one of the most celebrated buildings in Britain. It is also one of the most complex, and perhaps relatively understudied. The Hall has been remodelled on successive occasions, and subjected to a variety of competing uses, changes of purpose, damage and abuse (as much from Victorian architects as the Luftwaffe). For many years, it served as the meeting place of the nation. It was the place where new kings were acclaimed but it was also here that people gathered to hear the news, lobby politicians and lawyers. It was the home of the nation’s principal law courts but also of shops selling books, pamphlets, prints and ‘toys’. It was transformed into a grand court for hearing state trials, most famously that of Charles I in 1649 and the long-running impeachment of Warren Hastings in the 1780s and 1790s. On other occasions, it was the venue for celebratory events, notably coronation banquets and the lord chancellor’s breakfast. It continues to be an important place where international leaders, including Nelson Mandela, have addressed both houses of Parliament. It is in Westminster Hall that the most honoured dead have been given three days of Lying-in-State. Yet it has remained a profoundly living space.

This workshop will examine the multi-faceted aspects of the hall from the mid-17th to the early 19th centuries. We shall seek to realize the potential for a major project investigating the Hall’s diverse and competing uses through that period, and consider how best to make those findings available to the widest possible audience. It will seek to develop a new approach, building on previous projects, such as the St Stephen’s Chapel project at the University of York, and the King’s Bench project at Royal Holloway, University of London. We will look to find new and innovative ways of reconstructing the very open world of Westminster in a period when many might think of politics and law as removed from the experience of the majority.

The workshop will bring together stakeholders from different academic disciplines as well as people working in Westminster or in the world of law. The unique architectural character of the building will be considered and ways in which different manifestations of the Hall might best be brought to life for a range of audiences. Presentations will focus on Westminster Hall’s role as a social hub, a commercial centre, a place of politics and lobbying, and focus for justice.

Please send expressions of interest in attending to Dr Robin Eagles: reagles@histparl.ac.uk