Big Ben is next to the river Thames and found in the Elizabeth Tower at the north end of The Houses of Parliament in Westminster, Central London. Get directions to Big Ben: driving directions!
There are several London bus routes that go past the tower, and Westminster Tube station is directly across the road, serviced by the Jubilee, District, and Circle lines. Westminster pier is next to the tower and is served by a number of river bus travel options.
Facts about Big Ben
- Each dial has a diameter of seven meters.
- The minute hands are 14 feet long and weigh roughly 100 kilograms (220lbs, including counterweights).
- The numbers measure 60cm (23in) in length.
- Each clock dial contains 312 pieces of glass.
When parliament is in session, a distinctive light is turned on above the clock faces.
A stack of pennies placed on the massive pendulum regulates Big Ben's timekeeping.
Big Ben rarely comes to a halt. The clock tower survived after a bomb demolished the Commons chamber during WWII, and Big Ben continued to strike the hours.
The BBC initially transmitted Big Ben's chimes on December 31, 1923, and the tradition continues today.
DOMINE SALVAM FAC REGINAM NOSTRAM VICTORIAM PRIMAM is written in Latin beneath the clock face, and it means "O Lord, keep safe our Queen Victoria the First."
The House of Commons announced in June 2012 that the clock tower would be renamed the Elizabeth Tower to commemorate Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee.
