Big Ben and the Elizabeth Tower above the Thames
Published on 09/12/2026 at 10:55 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Big Ben stands at the north end of the Palace of Westminster in London, a Gothic Revival clock tower whose outline has become part of the Thames riverfront. The tower, officially named the Elizabeth Tower since 2012, carries one of the world’s best known clocks and the Great Bell that lent Big Ben its nickname in the nineteenth century.
A Gothic Revival tower on the Thames
The Elizabeth Tower anchors the riverside façade of the Palace of Westminster, rising beside the Thames in the borough of Westminster. It forms part of Charles Barry’s rebuilding of the Houses of Parliament in the nineteenth century and is designed in the Gothic Revival style associated with Augustus Pugin, whose detailed tracery and pinnacles can be read in the tower’s stonework.Gothic Revival style
Construction of the present clock tower began in 1843 and the structure was completed in 1859, giving it a clear Victorian context within British political and architectural history.completed in 1859 The tower reaches around 96 m (315 ft) in height, with an internal stair that runs through its floors towards the belfry near the top.96 metres high
Clock, dials and the Great Bell
Big Ben is strictly the nickname for the Great Bell of the Great Clock of Westminster, hanging within the belfry of the Elizabeth Tower.Great Bell of the Great Clock The bell weighs around 13.7 tonnes, giving the hour strikes a depth and carrying power that have become familiar far beyond London.Big Ben weighs 13.7 tonnes
The clock itself presents four large dials, one on each side of the tower, so that the time is visible in all directions along Parliament Square and the river. Each dial measures about 7 m (23 ft) across, with minute hands several metres long and numerals that can be read clearly from the surrounding streets.each dial is seven metres The clock mechanism uses a gravity escapement designed in the nineteenth century by Edmund Beckett Denison, a system that was developed to achieve a high degree of accuracy for the public timekeeping of Parliament and the city.gravity escapement designed by Edmund Beckett Denison
Names, dates and the parliamentary setting
The tower’s association with the Houses of Parliament ties its story closely to British political life. It stands over the Palace of Westminster, the seat of the United Kingdom’s House of Commons and House of Lords, and a special lamp above the clock faces is illuminated when Parliament is in session.light above the clock faces The clock dials carry a Latin inscription beneath them dedicated to Queen Victoria, linking the structure explicitly to the monarch under whom the rebuilt palace was completed.Latin words under the clock face
In 2012 the former Clock Tower was formally renamed the Elizabeth Tower to mark the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II, adding a modern royal layer to a nineteenth-century building.renamed the Elizabeth Tower in 2012 Big Ben’s chimes have been carried beyond Westminster by radio since the early twentieth century, and the sound of the Great Bell striking the hour has become closely linked with national broadcasts and the marking of significant moments.
Visiting Big Ben: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- Big Ben stands at the northern end of the Palace of Westminster in central London, beside the Thames and close to Westminster Bridge and Westminster Underground station.
- The tower rises to around 96 m (315 ft), with internal staircases of hundreds of steps, and the surrounding streets involve level pavements rather than steep gradients.
- The official language is English and the currency is the pound sterling.
- Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.
Searching for Big Ben on social platforms
These links open searches for Big Ben on each platform.Frequently asked questions about Big Ben
Where is Big Ben located in London?
Big Ben stands at the north end of the Palace of Westminster in the borough of Westminster, beside the Thames and close to Westminster Bridge.
What can visitors expect when viewing Big Ben?
Visitors see the Gothic Revival Elizabeth Tower rising above the parliamentary complex, with four large clock dials and the river and surrounding civic buildings framing the view.
What makes Big Ben distinctive among clock towers?
The combination of the Elizabeth Tower’s nineteenth-century Gothic detailing, its height of around 96 m (315 ft), and the Great Bell known as Big Ben gives the landmark a particular character.
