Big Ben and Parliament - London, England

Tours of Parliament run most Saturdays year round, and Tuesday to Saturday during the summer opening period. Unfortunately, my visit to London occurred prior to the summer schedule. Having spent the weekend in the English countryside, my “tour” of parliament was limited to the information I learned on my cruise on the Thames River and walking around the massive complex after watching the changing of the guard nearby at Buckingham Palace.

From their website…the 75-minute guided tours start by following the route taken by The Queen at the State Opening of Parliament; from The Queen’s Robing Room, through the Royal Gallery, and into the majestic Lords Chamber. Unlike The Queen, who is not allowed into the Commons Chamber, visitors can stand on the floor of the House and imagine the lively debates. The tours end in Westminster Hall, where Guy Fawkes and King Charles I were tried, and where Nelson Mandela and Barack Obama have addressed Parliament in recent years. On selected Fridays between March and July 2013, two art tours are also available. If you are unfortunate enough (like I was) to miss the guided tours, you can still take amazing picture from outside. Photography is prohibited inside, anyway.

The Houses of Parliament and Elizabeth Tower, commonly called Big Ben, are among London's most iconic landmarks. Technically, Big Ben is the name given to the massive bell inside the clock tower, which weighs more than 13 tons (13,760 kg). The clock tower looks spectacular at night when the four clock faces are illuminated. Similar to the United States, Parliament is comprised of a bicameral legislature. However, the US version resulted from “the great compromise” that allowed a division of power between equal representation (two per state) in the Senate and apportioned representation in the House. Generally, this system uses a system of appointed legislators for the upper body (Senate) along with an elected body. In Parliament, the upper house is called the House of Lords, while the Lower House is the House of Commons. They are distinguished by color coding and segregated, even in their dining arrangements which are visible from the Thames.

Big Ben and the Clock Tower are the impressive landmarks that help identify the Parliament as you wander through London. The massive tower sits just south of Westminster Abbey. If you are visiting one, you may as well visit the other as they are only a very short distant apart. Some interesting facts about the Clock Tower:

•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.
•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.

The Palace of Westminster was destroyed by fire in 1834. In 1844, it was decided the new buildings for the Houses of Parliament should include a tower and a clock. A massive bell was required and the first attempt (made by John Warner & Sons at Stockton-on-Tees) cracked irreparably. This offers an interesting parallel to our own Liberty Bell in Philadelphia, PA, which also remains a major tourist attraction. The metal of the original bell was melted down and the bell recast in Whitechapel in 1858. Big Ben first rang across Westminster on 31 May 1859. A short time later, in September 1859, Big Ben cracked again. A lighter hammer was fitted and the bell rotated to present an undamaged section to the hammer. This is the bell as we hear it today.

Source

Location

Parliament
Westminster
London
SW1A 0AA

Getting to Big Ben and Parliament is fairly easy. Two major railway stations, two London Underground stations and regular red London buses will take you close to Parliament. The nearest Underground stations are at St. James's Park (District and Circle Lines) and Westminster (Jubilee, District & Circle Lines). There is no public parking available and parking appeared to be very scarce in this part of London, so consider public transit. We included the Abbey and Big Ben as part of our Buckingham Palace Changing of the Guard experience, so you may also opt to walk here if you are visiting other nearby attractions.

Source

Parliament was not open for tours during the time I was in London. If it were, I am not certain I would have parted with the twenty-dollars they charge for admission. The iconic aspect of this attraction is the clock tower, which is fully visible from the street, providing a great opportunity for a memorable photograph. You can pick up the history of Parliament through a walking tour, bus tour or Thames river cruise. I took the Thames River Cruise prior to my visit on foot, and had plenty of background information to make a picture of the clock tower adequate enough. The exterior is FREE, so take advantage of it. If you are a diehard history buff, shell out the money for the tour. But make sure to plan in advance. They are not always open, even on the posted dates.

Unless otherwise indicated, all photos are my own. They may be reproduced with prior permission.