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Westminster, London SW1A 0AA
Big Ben
The Houses of Parliament's iconic clock tower is one of London's most famous landmarks.
Big Ben Facts
- Each dial is seven metres in diameter
- The minute hands are 4.2 metres long and weigh about 100kg (including counterweights)
- The numbers are approximately 60cm long
- There are 312 pieces of glass in each clock dial
- A special light above the clock faces is illuminated when parliament is in session
- Big Ben's timekeeping is strictly regulated by a stack of coins placed on the huge pendulum.
- Big Ben has rarely stopped. Even after a bomb destroyed the Commons chamber during the Second World War, the clock tower survived and Big Ben continued to strike the hours.
- The chimes of Big Ben were first broadcast by the BBC on 31 December 1923, a tradition that continues to this day.
- The latin words under the clockface read DOMINE SALVAM FAC REGINAM NOSTRAM VICTORIAM PRIMAM, which means O Lord, keep safe our Queen Victoria the First
- In June 2012 the House of Commons announced that the clock tower was to be renamed the Elizabeth Tower in honour of Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee.
Westminster, London SW1A 0AA
Houses of Parlaiment
Audio and guided tours include the route taken by the Queen at State Opening of Parliament; from the Queen’s Robing Room, through the Royal Gallery and into the majestic Lords Chamber.
Tours then move on through Central Lobby, Members Lobby and one of the voting lobbies before entering the Commons Chamber, scene of many lively debates.
Passing through St Stephen’s Hall, tours end in 900 year old Westminster Hall where Guy Fawkes was tried and where Nelson Mandela addressed Parliament in more recent years.
Tours are available English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Russian and Mandarin.
For information and tickets please visit www.parliament.uk/visiting, or call +44 20 7219 4114
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20 Deans Yd, London SW1P 3PA
Westminister Abbey
Kings, queens, statesmen and soldiers; poets, priests, heroes and villains - Westminster Abbey is a must-see living pageant of British history.
Every year, the Abbey welcomes over one million visitors who want to explore this wonderful 700-year-old building - the coronation church of England. Audio guides are available in eleven languages or there is the highly-popular verger-led tour.
Audio guides are free with individual entry tickets and the tour takes around one hour. The English-language tour is narrated by the actor Jeremy Irons and audio guides are also available in German, French, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Portuguese, Polish, Hungarian, Mandarin Chinese, and Japanese.
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