These squares in turn influenced the location of major north-south thoroughfares in the West End, such as Bond, Baker, and Regent streets. Today these streets have become the leading shopping areas of the West End, with Piccadilly Circus and Soho serving the gastronomic and entertainment needs of the people. By the middle of the 19th century, urban development had spread norht of Oxford St. to reach Marylebone, Euston, Pentonville, and City roads. Along this route the major railroad companies located the stations of Paddington, Marylebone, Euston, Saint Pancras, King's Cross, and Liverpool, which today serve West, North, and East England. Access to South England is provided by Victoria, Charing Cross, Waterloo, and London Bridge stations.
Churches form an important part of London's architectural heritage.
Saint Paul's Cathedral, the city's most imposing church, is a large baroque edifice, distinguished by a huge central dome and designed by the English architect Sir Christopher Wren. The great complex of buildings known as the Houses of Parliament, still officially called the New Palace of Westminster, serves as the seat for both the House of Commons and the House of Lords. Built in a neo-Gothic style between 1840 and 1850, it is distinguished by the clock tower named after the main bell, Big Ben. Mansion House has been the official residence of the Lord Mayor since 1753. Guildhall, an early 15th-century Gothic hall, is used for the Lord Mayor's banquet and civil functions.