Victoria Tower

The Victoria Tower stands at the south-west end of the Palace of Westminster in London. It is a square tower built in the Perpendicular Gothic style by Charles Barry and Augustus Pugin. Completed in 1860, it rises 98.5 metres, making it the tallest part of the palace. The tower houses the Parliamentary Archives across 12 floors, meeting strict preservation standards. Originally, all 14 floors were connected by a single wrought-iron Victorian staircase of 553 steps, though only five floors remain today. The steps were made from granite quarried in Aberdeenshire. The tower was designed as a fireproof repository for books and documents after the 1834 fire destroyed the old palace. Its name changed from King’s Tower to Victoria Tower in 1897, honouring Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee. The structure’s strength comes from a cast-iron framework rather than its stonework. When the iron flagstaff was added, it became the tallest square tower in the world. The archives have undergone major reconstructions to maintain modern storage conditions. Visitors find the sovereign’s entrance at the tower’s base, used by the monarch during the State Opening of Parliament. At the top, a flagstaff flies the Union Flag daily or the royal standard when the sovereign is present. The tower overlooks Black Rod’s Garden to the west and Old Palace Yard to the east. Inside, the surviving floors of the Victorian staircase and the archive’s preservation work can be seen. The tower’s design reflects both its functional purpose and its historical significance.