We were also accompanied by Parliamentary Archivist Melanie Unwin who made the whole event possible.
After an engaging introductory talk about the centuries of historic Acts contained in the archives and a bird's eye view of the Sovereign's entrance to Parliament we entered the room itself. Smaller perhaps than we'd envisaged nonetheless the sense of history packed into the shelves lining the walls was awe inspiring.
The Act Room is home to 64,000 parchment rolls which hold the legal and constitutional basis of the UK. Hence its description as ‘the most important room in Britain’.
These Parliamentary records are at the very heart of our democracy, and have embodied our liberties, rights and responsibilities for over five hundred years. They include some of the most important documents in British history, such as the Bill of Rights and the Great Reform Act.
After the tour we were treated to a fascinating presentation from Mary, who explained to us how the Act Room inspired 'New Dawn' her amazing new art installation in Westminster Hall. It was incredible to get a sense of every step, as Mary took us through the process of creating New Dawn from inspiration through the actual making of the glass and then to its installation in Westminster Hall.
We then enjoyed wine & cheese to round off a very special day.
Find out more about the artwork and see a film of Mary talking about New Dawn here: www.parliament.uk/newdawn