Westminster Hall
the hall of the old palace of Westminster, in London; erected by Richard II. (1397-1399) on the foundations of a structure built by William Rufus. It has a fine porch, and its hammer-beam roof of carved timber is considered the most notable of its kind; length of the building 290 feet, breadth 68 feet, and height 110 feet.
The building is closely associated with many stirring events in English history; but it is chiefly remarkable as the place where were held such great state trials as those of the Chancellor More, Lady Jane Grey, the Earl of Strafford, King Charles I., and Warren Hastings, and as the center of the highest English courts of law till these were removed to the new buildings erected for their accommodation. The hall now serves as a vestibule to the Houses of Parliament.