For over a century and a half, the timekeeper in London has been an iconic tower with a four faced clock. Its official name until 2012 was simply ‘Clock Tower’, but thenceforth in commemoration of the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II the clock was renamed ‘Elizabeth Tower’. Neither of these names usually rings a bell in the heads or hearts of even the locals, however, if one were to refer to the same edifice by its nickname; ‘Big Ben’, probably everyone in every nook and cranny of the world would know.
The tower which stands at a distinguishing height of over 315 feet, slightly shorter than 100 metres, can be seen for miles across the Thames on one side and beyond Hyde Park on the other. Even from a hotel near Hyde Park London, one is likely to be able to see the Westminster Abbey, the Buckingham Palace and of course the Big Ben.
With the hour hand being 9 feet and the minute hand being 14 feet, one can even read the time from far away. Some who reside at the luxurious hotels nearby such as the Berjaya Eden Park London Hotel believe that the best time to visit the clock tower is before noon; nevertheless one must always capture a glimpse after nightfall from across the River Thames. As it is only then that the lights come on at the Palace of Westminster and the Big Ben and these illuminated structures look magnificent both as figures and in their reflections.
History has it that the Big Ben came into being when the Palace of Westminster was destroyed by a fire and was reconstructed. The 334 limestone steps that lead to the top of the tower are open only to the British. However, even they need to make prior arrangements in order to experience the interior of the Big Ben.
Caleb Falcon is a travel writer who specializes in writing content based on the many exciting world adventures that await intrepid travellers.
