Big ben

Big Ben is the nickname for the great bell in the Clock Tower at the Palace of Westminster (or Houses of Parliament) seat of the British government in London. The bell weighs in at 13.5 tonnes.

Note that you can only visit Big Ben if you are a British resident and you have obtained the necessary authorisation. The Houses of Parliament stand by the Thames, between Westminster Bridge and Westminster Abbey. A terrible fire devastated large parts of the Parliament buildings in 1834, after which a commission was set up to choose a new style in which to rebuild Parliament. The winning design was by Charles Barry, who planned for a grand clock tower on the side of the building.