Big Ben, London##&&/de/london/bigben##&&/fr/londres/bigben##&&/nl/londen/bigben##&&London##&&Attractions##&&Map##&&Hotels##&&Tours##&&Facts##&&Buildings##&&Posters##&&Pictures##&&A View On Cities##&&London##&&London Attractions##&&Big Ben##&&Loading...##&&Big Ben##&&Tower Bridge##&&London Eye##&&Tower of London##&&St. Paul's Cathedral##&&Buckingham Palace##&&Houses of Parliament##&&Madame Tussauds##&&Trafalgar Square##&&Hyde Park##&&Covent Garden##&&British Museum##&&Westminster Abbey##&&Piccadilly Circus##&&V&A Museum##&&Harrods##&&National Gallery##&&Kensington Gardens##&&Kensington Palace##&&The Shard##&&Natural History Museum##&&Royal Albert Hall##&&St. Pancras Station##&&Kew Gardens##&&Millennium Dome (O2)##&&Royal Mews##&&Tate Modern##&&Regent's Park##&&The City##&&Imperial War Museum##&&HMS Belfast##&&Albert Memorial##&&The Gherkin##&&Millennium Bridge##&&More London Attractions...##&&Big Ben##&&Saint Stephen's Tower##&&Info##&&Location/Map##&&Nearby##&&Tours##&&Photos##&&Posters##&&Rating##&&votes##&&votes##&&The Clock Tower of the##&&Palace of Westminster##&&- officially named Saint Stephen's Tower - is commonly known as the Big
 Ben. The tower is one of London's most famous landmarks.##&&Big Ben##&&The clock inside the tower was the world's largest when it was installed
 in the middle of the nineteenth century. The name Big Ben actually 
refers to the clock's hour bell, the largest of the clock's five bells. 
The other four are used as quarter bells.##&&Big Ben##&&There were two bells cast as the clock tower's hour bell. A first, 
sixteen ton weighing bell was cast by John Warner and Sons in 
Since the Clock Tower was not yet completed, the bell was hung 
temporarily in the Palace Yard. The bell soon cracked so it was recast 
in in the Whitechapel Bell Foundry as a ton bell. 
Unfortunately soon after this bell was placed in the belfry in July 
 it cracked as well. This time, instead of yet again recasting the 
bell, the crack was repaired and a lighter hammer was used to prevent 
any more cracks.##&&Clock face##&&View from##&&Parliament Square##&&The hour bell was probably named after Benjamin Hall, the First 
Commissioner of Works. Some sources however claim the bell was named 
after Benjamin Caunt, a British heavyweight boxing champion.##&&The Clock##&&The clock was the largest in the world and is still the largest in 
Great-Britain. The clock faces have a diameter of almost 25ft (7.5m). 
The hour hand is 9ft or 2.7m long and the minute hand measures 14ft 
(4.25m) long.##&&The clock is known for its reliability, it has rarely failed during its 
long life span. Even after the nearby House of Commons was destroyed by 
bombing during World War II, the clock kept on chiming. The clock's 
mechanism, designed by Edmund Beckett Denison, has a remarkable 
accuracy. The clock's rate is adjusted by simply adding small pennies on
 the shoulder of the pendulum.##&&The Tower##&&The tower was constructed between and as the clock tower of 
the Palace of Westminster. The palace is now better known as the##&&Houses of Parliament##&&The clock tower rises 316ft high (96m) and consists of a 200ft (61m) 
high brick shaft topped by a cast iron framed spire. The clock faces are
 180ft / 55m above ground level.##&&Views##&&Unfortunately the clock tower is not publicly accessible, but if you're looking for views over London the##&&London Eye##&&the##&&Shard##&&or the##&&Monument##&&are currently the best options.##&&Next:##&&Tower Bridge##&&Related Links:##&&-##&&Big Ben Pictures##&&-##&&Big Ben Posters##&&Subway##&&Westminster (Circle, District, Jubilee)##&&Location##&&Bridge Street, SW1##&&london##&&x##&&Press ESC to close##&&powered by##&&www.aviewoncities.com