Parliament in 1605

The Palace of Westminster

In 1605 the Palace of Westminster was a jumble of medieval buildings.  Despite a fire in 1512 few changes had been made to the Palace's layout.

The House of Lords

In 1605 the House of Lords met in a building originally built in the 13th century, surrounded by a number of outbuildings. When these were being demolished in the early 19th century, the doorway from which Guy Fawkes was said to have planned his escape was clearly visible.

Whilst the area where the gunpowder was stored is often referred to as a cellar it was in fact a ground floor storeroom or undercroft.