Westminster Hall

Dickens sets David Copperfield in places recognizable to his audience,19th-century English people. Thus, his descriptions and the world where his fictional characters exist more real. One of the first mentions of the Westminster area is when David crosses the Westminster Bridge with Ms. Pettogy in his search for Emily. The bridge was built in 1862 and mimics the Gothic style of Westminster Hall. Westminster Hall is the oldest building in the Houses of Parliament and the most ancient Palace of Westminster which still stands tall in its original form. It was built around 1100 AD and survived a fire in 1830. According to the Dickens' Trail, Dickens considered the place "a very hideous church...generally resembling some petrified monster, frightful and giant, on its back with legs in the air." He was buried in Westminster Abbey, near Westminster Hall, in the Poet's Corner in 1870. However, the UK Parliament describes Dickens' first interaction with Westminster Hall in 1833: "Charles Dickens, having for the first time seen one of his stories in print, walked around Westminster Hall for half an hour with his eyes 'dimmed with joy'."

For much of the medieval period, the ruling monarch resided in Westminster Hall as tradition. Also, for many centuries, it was the place of banquets and other governing festivities. What makes this hall so special is its enormous size and magnificent roof. In and around the Hall, is where most of Britain's major institutions congregated. In its earliest years, the hall was used for banquets and feasts for entertainment. For instance, Henry III threw a banquet for the knights of his kingdom and the poor people of London on Christmas day in 1241. Centuries later, coronations, impeachments, and other political displays were intended for the masses of London to see. Citizens who initiated rebellions in London confessed their wrongdoings to the King and sought pardon. Around the time David Copperfield was published, Westminster had lost many of its uses and became less of a public place, although the public was free to roam around and be admitted. In 1843, the Hall was used for exhibitions of designs for paintings known as frescoes, a Roman technique of mural painting with rapid-moving watercolor on plaster. A bit later, approximately throughout the 1860s, the hall was used for inspection and drilling in fear of possible French invasion. 500 to 700 volunteers formed units and stayed there for four to five hours at a time.

Westminster Hall faced another tragedy in 1885, only 50 years after the devastating fire. Two years after the buttresses were reconstructed, Fenian bombs exploded in the Hall. Two explosions caused great damage to the hall, especially near the south end, but it was empty so there were no casualties. Thus, people were no admitted into the hall until 1889 and were under some restrictions.

Here is an image of the great oak roof of Westminster Hall: