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Big Ben

Big Ben is the great bell of the clock housed in Elizabeth Tower, at the north end of the Palace of Westminster, where visitors can admire the neo-Gothic architecture designed by Charles Barry and Augustus Pugin, decorated with carved stone and symbols of the nations of the United Kingdom and the House of Tudor. From outside, visitors can see the clock's four 6.9-metre-diameter dials and the 96-metre tower, while Big Ben's chimes mark the hours and are broadcast by the BBC before the news. The tower, part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is noted for its mechanical reliability and its history linked to the British Parliament, and is a frequent landmark in films and documentaries set in London.

Things to do at Big Ben: 3 missions

• Listen to the four quarter bells strike the hourWait by the tower for the bells that mark each quarter hour to chime.
• Look at the four clock faces and their Latin inscriptionLook at the tower's clock faces and the Latin inscription beneath each one.
• Climb the 334 steps to the belfryClimb the tower stairs to the belfry where the great bell hangs.

Near Big Ben

Source: parliament.uk