Big Ben Westminster London

Big Ben, Westminster, London

Statistics | History | Access | Guide to London

Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament (the Palace of Westminster) and Westminster Bridge

Big Ben is the nickname for the great bell in the clock tower at the north end of the Palace of Westminster in London, and most people use the name to refer to the clock or the clock tower as well.

Statistics

Big Ben is the largest four-faced chiming clock in the world. Big Ben celebrated its 150th anniversary in May 2009. The clock tower has become a symbol of Great Britain and London.

Recently (2017) the clock has had to be repaired and will not chime again (except for special occasions such as New Year) until 2021. The 13.7-tonne Great Bell had been in working order for over 150 years, however, The Great Clock, of which it is a part is in need of drastic repair.

Great Bell aka Big Ben at the northern end of the Palace of Westminster in London

History

The clock tower which is 96 meters in height was designed by British architect Augustus Pugin (1812-1852) in Neo-Gothic style.

Big Ben was completed in 1859 and at the time was the most accurate four-faced striking and chiming clock in the world.

Big Ben is located next to Westminster Bridge on the north end of the Houses of Parliament in central London.

Visitors to Big Ben may also want to visit the nearby Westminster Abbey, New Scotland Yard, the Tower of London, Tower Bridge, or the George Inn in Southwark.

Looking up to the clock tower in Westminster, London

Access – Getting There

Westminster is the nearest underground station to the Houses of Parliament. Westminster Station is on the Circle, District and Jubilee lines of the London tube network. Numerous London buses pass by the Houses of Parliament on both Victoria Street and Abingdon Street.

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