- lisanti
- First Reviewer
- 4 out of 5
- Avg. Member Rating
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Editor Pick
Big Ben - The Ultimate Landmark on the London Skyline
- July 26, 2025
- Rated 5 of 5 by
katykicker from Harlow, Essex, United Kingdom
Big Ben is one of the most instantly recognisable Landmarks in London. Big Ben is a large clock tower that is located at the North-Eastern side of the Palace of Westminster and it is the largest four-faced chiming clock in the world.
The clock first began chiming on 31st May 1859 and has only stopped or been stopped on 9 occasions either due to WW1 or WW1 or due to weather conditions or stoppage for urgent repairs.
The film has been featured in many different films over the years including Shanghai Knights, The Thirty-Nine Steps & it also appeared to be partially destroyed in an episode of Doctor Who.
The clock tower stands at 316 feet tall and is one of the tallest clock towers in the world. It’s height just fills me with awe every single time I walk by and I always find myself stopping for a few moments to watch it and wait to hear the oh so familiar chimes ringing out. The tower is made from brick with stone cladding and on the rare occasion that anybody is allowed inside the clock tower there are around 330 limestone steps to be walked up. The interior of the tower is closed to the general public due to security reasons.
Big Ben is in close proximity to the London Eye so when going around on the Eye it’s possible to really understand just how high Big Ben is!
Big Ben is the name of the bell itself which was rumoured to be named after Sir Benjamin Hall who oversaw the installation of the Great bell.
I believe that Big Ben is something that all visitors and locals in London should have their photograph taken outside of. It towers over Westminster in an amazing way and it’s just one of the most phenomenal Landmarks in London.
Because Big Ben is located in the centre of London there are so many different areas to visit in the close proximity and it’s easy to plan a fantastic day out around the viewing of this fantastic clock tower.
One of most iconic moments I can remembering seeing Big Ben was at the Millenium when I was at a friend’s house and we saw it on television and I will always think of it when I remember the start of the year 2000. I fought to stay up all night and was amazed that I actually managed to do it, as did my friend. I usually hear the chimes each year whenever I am, be it a friends house, nightclub etc.
I believe that if you know an MP they may be able to arrange for you to have a tour of the interior of the building so if you are fortunate enough to be in this position then I would definitely recommend it. Also, night time is the best time to view the tower (in my opinion) as it’s lit up and really stands out in the almost dark night sky.
I would have to rate a visit to Big Ben as being 5/5 as it’s the ideal background for any tourists photograph in London and if you stand on Westminster Bridge there is usually lots of people around who are willing to take photographs for you (be careful if you have an expensive camera of course!).
From journal Tourist Time in London!
Big Ben at night
- June 24, 2025
- Rated 5 of 5 by
txaggies98 from Woodstock, Georgia
The area around Big Ben is really nice during the day, but seeing it at night is a must in London. Big Ben is absolutly beautiful and the clock chimes every hour. The London Eye, Parliment and Westminister Abbey are all around that area. You can take a ride on the London Eye and see a panoramic view of the city at night.
From journal London
Big Ben
- December 31, 2025
- Rated 5 of 5 by
eros from Cork, Ireland, Ireland
This was my favourite part of the tour of london seeing Possibly the most famous clock face and chimes in the world the building is officially known as St Stephen's Tower, but which is more commonly referred to as Big Ben. "Big Ben" is actually the name of the largest bell inside the clock tower, which forms part of the Houses of Parliament. It is thought that the name comes from Sir Benjamin Hall who was commissioner of works when the bell was first installed in 1858. The accuracy of the clock movement is controlled by the placing of old pennies in the mechanism.
From journal A City Of Many Worlds
Big Ben
- July 27, 2025
- Rated 4 of 5 by
Tolik from Tampa, Florida
Big Ben, the clock tower 315 feet high, is named for its bell. The name Big Ben applied originally only to the bell but was probably after Sir Benjamin Hall the first Commissioner of Works. The light above the clock remains lit while the Commons is sitting.
From journal London During the Golden Jubilee Celebration
Editor Pick
Big Ben/Parliament/Westminster Abbey
- February 6, 2025
- Rated 3 of 5 by
Jerril from Cottage Grove, Minnesota
WoooHoo... a giant clock! Well, at least I expected it to be giant, but it's actually just big. St James park is fun, to run around in, though.
I'm not into politics so maybe that's why I felt a little silly standing outside of Parliament staring as if something exciting was going to happen. The same thing happened at Buckingham Palace. A bunch of people gathered around a building, almost like they're waiting for something to happen. If I were someone inside that building I would perform a puppet show in one of the windows. At least that would be entertaining.
Westminster Abbey was absolutely beautiful. I wish we had more time to spend there. If you're into art and architecture then you can just get swallowed up in this place and never come out. And you can learn about the history untill your ears fall off. It's all very interesting. I highly recomend Westminster Abbey.
From journal First Time Out