Big Ben and the vertical rhythm of Westminster
Published on 08/19/2026 at 21:10 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Big Ben is the nickname of the Great Bell in the clock tower now officially called the Elizabeth Tower, a Gothic landmark rising above the Palace of Westminster in London. Completed in 1859, the tower anchors the riverside façade of the UK Parliament with a vertical rhythm of stone, brick and clock faces that has become a shorthand silhouette for the city.
A Victorian tower of stone, brick and light
The Elizabeth Tower stands a little over 96 m (315 ft) high at the north end of the Palace of Westminster, facing the River Thames in the district of Westminster. Its outline combines a square shaft with a richly detailed belfry and lantern, all carried in the Gothic Revival language developed for the rebuilt Parliament by architect Charles Barry and his collaborator Augustus Pugin.Gothic Revival language Behind the carved stone lies a structure of brick and iron, with Anston stone from Yorkshire, Clipsham stone from Rutland and imported Caen limestone among the materials that give the tower its pale exterior.Anston stone from Yorkshire
The tower’s vertical rhythm is organised into several stages, with a base section tied into the palace, a tall shaft, and then the clock stage where four dials project from each side. Above the dials sits the belfry, marked by louvred openings and pinnacles, and finally a steeply tapering spire crowned by the Ayrton Light. The interior stacks 11 floors linked by narrow staircases that lead from service rooms to the clock room, the belfry and the upper lantern.
The Great Clock of Westminster
The clock mechanism in the Elizabeth Tower is known as the Great Clock of Westminster and was designed in the mid nineteenth century by Edmund Beckett Denison in collaboration with the Astronomer Royal, Sir George Airy.Great Clock of Westminster Construction of the mechanism was carried out by clockmaker Edward John Dent and completed by his stepson Frederick Dent after Edward’s death. The clock was installed in the tower and brought into service in 1859, giving the rebuilt Palace of Westminster a new public timekeeper.
Each of the four clock dials measures about 7 m in diameter and is set within an iron frame glazed with more than 300 individual pieces of opal glass.Each dial is seven metres The Roman numerals on the dials stand around 60 cm high, while the minute hands reach around 4.2 m (about 14 ft) and the hour hands are shorter but heavier. The clock mechanism itself weighs several tonnes and is regulated by a gravity escapement system, with a stack of coins placed on the pendulum as a fine adjustment for timekeeping.
Big Ben, the bell behind the name
Strictly speaking, Big Ben is the largest bell in the tower rather than the tower itself. The Great Bell hangs in the belfry above the clock dials and weighs about 13.7 tonnes, standing roughly 2.2 m high with a diameter of around 2.7 m.Big Ben weighs 13.7 tonnes It is one of a set of bells that provide the quarter chimes and the familiar hour strike heard across Westminster.
The bell and tower gained their present official names in the nineteenth and twenty-first centuries respectively. The tower was originally known simply as the Clock Tower, with the nickname Big Ben used colloquially for the bell and gradually for the whole ensemble. In 2012 the UK Parliament formally renamed the tower the Elizabeth Tower to mark the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II, while the Great Bell retained its traditional nickname.renamed the Elizabeth Tower
Visiting Big Ben: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- Big Ben stands at the north end of the Palace of Westminster in the City of Westminster, on the north bank of the River Thames, close to Westminster Bridge and Westminster Underground station.
- The tower rises to more than 96 m (315 ft) above street level, and access inside involves a sustained climb on staircases rather than lifts, with hundreds of steps between the base and the belfry.
- The surrounding area combines busy riverside pavements, traffic along Bridge Street and Parliament Square, and views that take in the Thames, the London Eye across the river and the façades of the Parliament buildings.
- English is the official language of the United Kingdom and the currency is the pound sterling.
Searching for Big Ben on social platforms
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Frequently asked questions about Big Ben
Where is Big Ben located?
Big Ben is part of the Elizabeth Tower at the north end of the Palace of Westminster in the City of Westminster, on the north bank of the River Thames in central London.
What can visitors expect when they see Big Ben?
Visitors encounter a tall Gothic stone tower rising above the Parliament buildings, with four large clock dials facing the city and the river and the chimes of the Great Bell carrying over the surrounding streets.
What makes Big Ben distinctive among clock towers?
Big Ben combines a nineteenth-century Gothic Revival tower by Charles Barry and Augustus Pugin with a precisely engineered Great Clock and a 13.7-tonne hour bell that together define a familiar sound and skyline profile for London.
