Big Ben & the Elizabeth Tower

Elizabeth Tower stands at the north end of the Palace of Westminster.  It was originally known as the Clock Tower but was renamed the Elizabeth Tower in 2012 to mark the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II.  Technically, Big Ben is the Great Bell.

The numbers on Big Ben’s clock face are Roman numerals, but No 10 is not how you think it should be.  You would expect it to be “X”, but it’s a stylized “X” (which looks more like an “F”), due to Pugin’s dislike of the numeral “X” (Augustus Pugin and Sir Charles Barry were the designers).

Photo:  Wendy Chapman.