Officially known as Saint Stephen’s Tower, the iconic Big Ben was the tallest clock in the world at the time of its opening.
History
At one time, the clock was the largest in the entire world, and still remains the biggest clock in Great Britain. The face of the clock has a diameter of about 25ft and the minute hand is 14 ft long, with the hour hand being 9ft long. Even after the surrounding buildings took a hit during World War II, the clock was unharmed and kept ticking.
The Tower
Hotels near Hyde Park, London will have a great view of the tower, especially in the rooms on top floors of hotels like Berjaya Eden Park London Hotel, for example. The tower was built by 1858 and stands 316ft tall. The clock is at a height of 180ft above the ground and is therefore seen from many viewpoints around the city. The tower isn’t open for visitors and is said to have an amazing view of London, but the Shard, the Monument and London Eye are great spots if you want to check out the view of London from a vantage point.
Fritzjames Stephen is a travel writer, who writes content based on the myriad of experiences and indulgences that the world has to offer travellers across all walks of life. Google+