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London 1
also see:
London 2
England Photo Index
Other England Photo Pages:
Bath   Blenheim Palace   Cambridge   Canterbury   Castle Howard  Cornwall   Lake District
London 1, 2   Northern England   Oxford   Plymouth   Salisbury   Windsor Castle
 

Parliament, Big Ben and Buckingham Palace
 

flag of England
 

Thames River and Parliament

Statue of Richard I (Coer de Leon) at Parliment

Big Ben
Big Ben is one of London's best-known landmarks. The four dials of the clock are 23 feet square, the minute hand is 14 feet long and the figures are 2 feet high. Minutely regulated with a stack of coins placed on the huge pendulum, Big Ben is an excellent timekeeper, which has rarely stopped. The name Big Ben actually refers not to the clock-tower itself , but to the thirteen ton bell hung within. The bell was named after the first commissioner of works, Sir Benjamin Hall. During the second world war the House of Commons was destroyed, but the clock tower remained intact and Big Ben continued to keep time.

A London Bobby guards the entrance to Parliament.
Big Ben is seen in the background.

Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace is the official town residence of the British monarch since 1837. Located near Saint James's Park, it was built by John Sheffield, 1st duke of Buckingham and Normandy, in 1703. The palace was purchased for the royal family in 1761 by George III. Buckingham Palace has about 600 rooms and 50 acres of gardens. It is noted for its fine collection of paintings.

A royal carriage in front of Buckingham Palace

Changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace