10 December 2022

Visit to the Parliament Buildings at Stormont

A recent visit to the Parliament Buildings at Stormont.

Built from Portland Limestone, mounted on a Mourne Granite base.

Opened in 1932, & cost approx £1.7 million to build.

After partition in 1921, the Parliament of newly formed Northern Ireland was looking fo a site for its Parliament Buildings.

The Stormont Estate was bought for £20,000 and was approx 220 acres in size.
Parliament Buildings was designed by Sir Arnold Thornley, and opened by HRH The Prince of Wales (who became King Edward VIII) in 1932.

Constructed from Portland Limestone, it was covered in bitumen and cow manure during WWII to camouflage it. Removing it after the war proved difficult, and it took 7 years to remove. Some still remains today!