From Waterloo Station, we took the Jubilee Line (underground train) to Westminster station and it took us less than 5 minutes to get there. But if you add up the minutes we had spent climbing up and down the escalators and finding our way through the underground maze, it would total to about 30 minutes. We emerged from that hole at half past 2PM and were surprised to find the London Eye on the other side of Thames. We could have just crossed the bridge by foot to get to the Clock Tower and saved ourselves time to catch our breaths.
The Big Ben Clock
The Clock Tower is part of the design structure of the Palace of Westminster Sir Charles Barry and Augustus Pugin made after a fire destroyed the palace in 1834. It is located at the northeastern part of the palace. The Clock Tower started its operations in 1859.
A lot of people refer to the Clock Tower as Big Ben. Officially, the nickname Big Ben was given to its 16-ton hour bell, the biggest among the tower’s 4 quarter bells. There are unconfirmed legends that surround the naming of Clock Tower’s hour bell.
Today, the Clock Tower is considered the world’s largest four-faced chiming clock and has become a center of New Year celebrations and a major tourist destination in the United Kingdom.
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Thursday, 13. December 2007
Thanks for reminding us of the true identity of Big Ben. Same with me, prior to my recent visit and browsing in the internet, I thought that the Clock Tower is referred to Big Ben but it is not! The Clock Tower is an icon in London and everybody has to look up for it. Maybe it is the well-admired structure in the world for being “on-time” and always in the go, 24/7!