Big Ben 🇬🇧

Big Ben is the world-famous nickname for the Great Bell housed within the clock tower at the northern end of the Palace of Westminster in London, England. Officially named the Elizabeth Tower since 2012 to honor the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II, the structure was originally known simply as the Clock Tower. Recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a Grade I listed structure, the landmark stands as an iconic global symbol of Great Britain and parliamentary democracy.

Designed by Augustus Pugin in collaboration with chief architect Sir Charles Barry, the tower was constructed in the Gothic Revival style following an 1834 fire that destroyed the previous palace. Completed in 1859, the structure reaches a height of 316 feet (96.3 metres) upon a square base measuring 40 feet (12.2 metres) on each side. Its brick body is clad in sand-coloured Anston limestone, capped by a cast-iron tiled spire. High above, decorative shields display emblems representing England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales, along with historical royal symbols and the parliamentary portcullis. Beneath each clock face, a Latin inscription pays tribute to Queen Victoria.

The tower houses a famous four-faced striking clock featuring four cast-iron dials, each measuring 22.5 feet (6.9 metres) across and filled with hundreds of opalescent glass pieces. Operating on its original mechanism designed by Edmund Beckett Denison and George Airy, the movement uses an innovative gravity escapement to maintain exceptional timekeeping accuracy. Clock keepers wind the mechanism by hand three times a week and make delicate adjustments to its speed by placing or removing pre-decimal penny coins on the pendulum.

Inside the belfry hangs the primary bell, Big Ben, which weighs 13.5 long tons (13.7 tonnes) and derives its name from Sir Benjamin Hall. Four smaller quarter bells chime on every quarter hour. Reaching the belfry involves a spiral stone staircase with 290 steps to the clock room and an additional 44 steps upward. Above the belfry sits the Ayrton Light, a lantern added in 1873 that glows across London whenever the House of Commons meets after dark. The tower also contains an oak-panelled Prison Room, accessible only from the House of Commons, which was historically used to detain individuals.

Big Ben in pictures