Big Ben, Clock tower at the Palace of Westminster in London, United Kingdom
Elizabeth Tower rises 96 meters (315 feet) at the north end of the parliamentary complex, housing a striking clock with four faces showing gilded numerals visible across Westminster. The Victorian Gothic structure of brick masonry with limestone cladding tapers toward an openwork cast iron spire, while each dial measures seven meters (23 feet) in diameter and the great bell inside weighs over 13 tons.
Construction started in 1843 after a fire in 1834 destroyed much of the original palace, with Charles Barry and Augustus Pugin providing the designs. Progress was slow when the main bell cracked during testing in 1857 and had to be recast before installation in 1859.
The bells' hourly live broadcast began in 1923; during World War II the BBC replaced it with a recording so the enemy could not extract weather information from the sound and echo. The four quarter bells play the Westminster chime, 20 notes in 5 bars, with the number of bars matching the quarter hour.
The tower can only be visited on guided tours, and since 2010 these are restricted to UK residents; overseas visitors must apply in advance. The 334-step climb to the belfry is not step-free, though a lift was installed in the old ventilation shaft during the 2017–2021 works. Westminster Underground station is a short walk away, and the tower is seen from Westminster Bridge and Victoria Tower Gardens.
Each clock face contains 312 pieces of opal glass that internal lights illuminate at night, making the dials visible across London. Tiny time adjustments are made by adding or removing old pennies on the pendulum, with each coin changing the rate by 0.4 seconds daily.
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