Big Ben Clock - London England

Westminster Clock, Big Ben, London, England

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Westminster Clock - Big Ben, is located in St. Stephen's Tower, at the northern end of the Houses of Parliament. The name, 'Big Ben', actually belongs to the massive, 13 ton bell, which chimes the hours. The chimes of Big Ben have been broadcast as a feature of the BBC's daily time signal since 1924, with only brief interruptions (owing to repairwork) in 1934 and 1956.

The clock was designed by Edmund Beckett Denison and built by E.J. Dent and Frederick Dent in 1859. It's believed that the 'Big Ben', name originated from Sir Benjamin Hall, the commissioner of works at the time.The hands of the clock are 9 and 14 feet (2.7 and 4.3 metres) long, respectively, and the clock tower rises to 320 feet (98 metres). The bell itself was cast by George Mears of Whitechapel and pulled to the tower by a wagon team of 16 horses.

St. Stephen's Tower once contained a prison cell where "rioters" were confined. The leader of the woman suffrage movement, Emmeline Pankhurst, was placed in the cell in 1902 after demonstrating nearby. Wonder how much sleep she got?

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