Big Ben and Houses of Parliament

Big Ben and Houses of Parliament

Westminster lies on the north bank of the river to the west of the city. It is the political centre of the UK- the home of the British Parliament. The nation’s leaders and the men and women who represent the British people meet and debate in the two House of parliament- the Houses of Commons and the House of Lords.

Above Parliament rises Big Ben, possibly London's most famous landmark."Big Ben" does not refer to the whole clock tower, but to the huge thirteen ton bell that strikes the hour. Its four while faces look north, south, east and west

One theory has it that it was named after Sir Benjamin Hall*, a weighty politician of the time who was the Parliamentary Commissioner of Works. Also known as The Palace of Westminster, the Houses of Parliament incorporates The House of Commons, The House of Lords & Westminster Hall.