The Houses of Parliament: Exploring London’s Iconic Clock Tower
When you walk along the Thames in London, past the red double-decker buses and the scent of pretzels from street vendors near Waterloo Bridge, one structure dominates the skyline-not because it’s the tallest, but because it’s the most unmistakable. The Houses of Parliament, with its Gothic spires and the towering clock face known to millions as Big Ben, isn’t just a building. It’s the heartbeat of British democracy, a symbol carved into postcards, TV news opens, and the quiet pride of Londoners who’ve seen it through fog, rain, and royal celebrations.
Big Ben Isn’t the Tower-It’s the Bell
Here’s something most tourists get wrong, and even some Londoners repeat by habit: Big Ben isn’t the clock tower. It’s the massive 13.5-ton bell inside it. The tower itself is officially called the Elizabeth Tower, renamed in 2012 to mark Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee. Before that, it was just the Clock Tower. Locals still call it Big Ben out of habit, just like they say ‘the Tube’ instead of the London Underground. If you’re standing on the Victoria Embankment at 8 a.m. on a weekday, you’ll hear the chime-deep, resonant, and unmistakable-marking the hour. That’s not a recording. It’s a real bell, cast in 1858, still ringing every 60 minutes, rain or shine.
The clock face is the largest four-faced chiming clock in the UK. Each dial is 23 feet across. The minute hand is 14 feet long. At night, the faces glow with energy-efficient LED lighting, a retrofit completed in 2022. You won’t find this kind of mechanical precision in any modern smartwatch. The clock is regulated by a stack of old pennies placed on the pendulum-add one, and it slows down by 0.4 seconds per day. It’s a 170-year-old hack, still working.
The Houses of Parliament: More Than a Tourist Spot
The Palace of Westminster isn’t just a backdrop for selfies. It’s where MPs debate, ministers answer questions, and laws that affect your bus fare, NHS appointments, and school funding are written. The building itself is a living archive. The original structure burned down in 1834, and the current one was rebuilt over 30 years by Charles Barry and Augustus Pugin. Every stone, stained-glass window, and carved gargoyle was chosen with meaning. The Clock Tower sits at the north end, but the building stretches over 1,100 rooms, 100 staircases, and three miles of corridors.
Locals know that during Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesdays, the chamber buzzes with tension. You can’t just walk in-but if you’re a UK resident, you can request a free tour through your MP. Many South Londoners take their kids on these tours after school, just like they’d visit the Natural History Museum. It’s not just about history. It’s about understanding how power works in the city they live in.
When to Visit: Avoid the Crowds, Catch the Light
If you’re planning to see the Houses of Parliament up close, timing matters. Tourists flood the area between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., especially on sunny weekends. But if you go at sunrise-say, 7 a.m. in summer-you’ll have the riverbank to yourself. The golden light hits the tower just right, casting long shadows across the Thames. That’s when photographers from Camberwell and Camden come with their tripods. You’ll see them, quiet and focused, capturing the same shot their grandparents did.
Winter visits have their own magic. On December 1st, the tower is lit in blue and white for the start of the UK’s National Tree Lighting Ceremony. The surrounding area becomes a pop-up Christmas market, with mulled wine from Borough Market stalls and handmade wool scarves from stalls run by Kent artisans. It’s not just tourism-it’s tradition.
For a quieter view, take the DLR to Tower Bridge and walk west along the south bank. Stop at the Jubilee Gardens. Sit on the bench near the London Eye. Look north. There it is-the tower, framed by the river, with the Shard in the distance. No crowds. Just the chime, the birds, and the hum of a city that never sleeps.
Why It Still Matters to Londoners
For many Londoners, the Elizabeth Tower isn’t a monument. It’s part of the rhythm of daily life. It’s the sound that signals it’s time to leave the office. It’s the landmark you use to give directions: “Turn left after Big Ben,” not “after the Parliament building.” It’s the backdrop for protests, weddings, and New Year’s Eve fireworks.
When the 2012 Olympics came to London, the tower was the centerpiece of the opening ceremony. When the Queen passed in 2022, the clock was silent for the first time in decades during her funeral procession. When the pandemic hit in 2020, the tower kept ticking. No one turned off the lights. No one stopped the chimes. It was a quiet promise: this city, this system, this place-it’s still here.
Even the nearby pubs know its value. The Red Lion in Westminster serves a ‘Big Ben Ale’-a dark bitter brewed by a local microbrewery in Wandsworth. The pub’s sign? A painted clock face with the hands stuck at 11:59. Locals say it’s waiting for the next chime.
What You Can’t See-And Why It’s Important
Behind the polished stone and the gilded railings, the building is aging. The restoration project, which began in 2017, is one of the largest in UK heritage history. Scaffolding covered the tower for years. The clock was silenced for maintenance. But when it rang again in 2022, it was louder than ever. That’s because workers replaced the original cast iron clock mechanism with a modernized version-still hand-wound, still mechanical, still accurate to within two seconds a week.
They didn’t just fix it. They preserved it. And that’s what makes it special. In a city where new skyscrapers rise every year, where Netflix studios replace old warehouses, and where the London Eye feels almost routine now, the Elizabeth Tower remains unchanged in spirit. It’s not flashy. It doesn’t need to be. It just keeps going.
If you’ve ever stood on Westminster Bridge at dusk, watching the lights come on, you’ve felt it. Not just awe. Belonging. This isn’t just a tourist attraction. It’s London’s oldest, loudest, most stubbornly honest piece of itself.
Is Big Ben the name of the tower or the bell?
Big Ben is the name of the 13.5-ton bell inside the Elizabeth Tower. The tower itself was originally called the Clock Tower and was renamed in 2012 to honor Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee. Most locals still call it Big Ben out of habit, even though technically, that’s not correct.
Can you go inside the Elizabeth Tower?
Public access to the interior of the Elizabeth Tower is currently restricted due to ongoing restoration and security protocols. However, UK residents can request a free guided tour of the wider Houses of Parliament through their Member of Parliament. Tours include views of the Chamber, Westminster Hall, and the Cloisters-but not the clock tower itself.
Why does the clock use pennies to keep time?
The clock’s pendulum is adjusted by adding or removing old British pennies-each one changes the rate by 0.4 seconds per day. This low-tech method has been used since 1859 and is still preferred over digital adjustments because it’s reliable, precise, and respects the original mechanical design. The clockmaker still climbs the 334 steps weekly to wind it by hand.
When is the best time to photograph the Elizabeth Tower?
The best light is at sunrise in summer or just before sunset in winter, when the golden glow hits the clock faces and reflects off the Thames. For fewer crowds, go before 8 a.m. or after 7 p.m. The view from the south bank near Jubilee Gardens or the Westminster Bridge pedestrian walkway is the most iconic and least congested.
Are there any nearby places to visit after seeing the Houses of Parliament?
Absolutely. Walk west to Westminster Abbey, where monarchs have been crowned since 1066. Head south to the London Eye for panoramic views, or cross the river to Borough Market for fresh pies, artisan cheese, and coffee from local roasters like Origin. For a pub with history, try The George Inn-London’s last remaining galleried coaching inn, dating back to 1670.
Final Thought: It’s Not Just a Landmark-It’s a Constant
London changes. The Tube gets new lines. The West End gets new theaters. Cafés open and close faster than you can say ‘flat white.’ But the Elizabeth Tower? It’s been there through wars, pandemics, queens, and prime ministers. It doesn’t care if you’re a tourist from Tokyo, a student from Manchester, or a lifelong resident who’s seen it through every season. It just chimes. And if you listen closely, you’ll hear something more than time passing-you’ll hear the steady pulse of a city that knows who it is.