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Where is Big Ben?

LandmarksEurope

Quick Answer

Big Ben is the great bell inside the Elizabeth Tower at the north end of the Palace of Westminster in London.

The Full Story

Strictly speaking, Big Ben is the nickname of the Great Bell, which weighs about 13.7 tonnes, though most people use it for the whole clock tower. The tower was completed in 1859 as part of the rebuilding of the Houses of Parliament after a fire in 1834, and it was renamed Elizabeth Tower in 2012 for Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee. It stands about 96 metres tall and has 334 steps to the belfry. Each of the four clock dials is 7 metres wide, and the minute hands are 4.2 metres long. A major restoration from 2017 to 2022 kept the bells mostly silent for five years.

Key Facts

1.The clock is famously accurate and can be adjusted by adding or removing old penny coins on its pendulum.
2.The bell cracked in 1859, just months after it first rang, and was turned so the hammer hit a new spot.
3.The tower leans very slightly to the northwest.

YouTube Angle

Suggested video title for this topic:

"Big Ben Is Not the Tower — Secrets of London’s Famous Clock"