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The Bell, The Penny, and The Pier: Why the Best View of Big Ben Isn’t on Land

While everyone else is jostling on Westminster Bridge for a shaky selfie, the real secrets of Big Ben are best heard—and seen—from the water. Starting at the very foot of the Tower at Westminster Pier, Thames River Sightseeing offers a perspective of the world’s most famous clock that land-dwellers completely miss.

Do You Know the Real Name of London’s Most Famous Icon?

Here is a quick test: Is the landmark we see from our boats actually called Big Ben? Strictly speaking, Big Ben is the nickname for the massive, 13.7-tonne Great Bell that strikes the hours. The magnificent stone structure itself is officially called the Elizabeth Tower, renamed in 2012 to honour the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. While almost everyone refers to the entire tower as Big Ben, knowing the difference between the architectural shell and the bell that rings within it is the first step to becoming a true London expert.

The “Leaning Tower” of London

Most people don’t realise that Big Ben lives inside a tower that is on the move. The Elizabeth Tower tilts at an angle of 0.26 degrees toward the north-west. This means the top of the tower sits nearly half a metre (over 1.5 feet) off-centre.

When you stand on Westminster Pier to board our cruise, look up. You are standing at the base of 96 metres of Yorkshire stone and Caen limestone. From the river level, the sheer scale of the tower’s silhouette against the skyline makes the tilt far more apparent than it is from the cramped pavements above.

The Secret of the Pre-Decimal Pennies

How does the world’s most accurate mechanical clock keep time? With pocket change. To adjust the speed of the 5-metre pendulum, the Clockmaker adds or removes old English pennies from a tray at the top of the pendulum.

• The Maths: Adding a single penny speeds up the clock by exactly 0.4 seconds (two-fifths of a second) every 24 hours.
• The Acoustic Edge: As our boats depart from the foot of the tower, listen for the “chime” of the quarter bells. On the water, the sound reflects off the surface of the Thames, providing a clearer acoustic experience away from the roar of London traffic.

The “Starling Incident” of 1949

Here is a story for the history buffs: On 12 August 1949, Big Ben suddenly slowed down by four and a half minutes. The culprit? A flock of starlings decided to perch on the 4.2-metre-long minute hand. The weight of the birds was enough to physically hold back time.

From the deck of our boat, you can see the sheer size of those copper hands. They travel the equivalent of 190 kilometres per year—that’s the distance from London to the coastal town of Weymouth!

Why Westminster Pier is the “Front Row Seat”

While most visitors fight for a square inch of space on Westminster Bridge, the truly savvy sightseer heads down to the river level. Standing on the bridge, your view is often obscured by the iconic—but bulky—red London buses and street lamps.

By contrast, starting your journey at Westminster Pier places you directly at the foot of the clock tower. From here, you have an unobstructed, soaring vertical view of the architecture that land-dwellers simply cannot replicate. Instead of looking across at the tower through a sea of selfie sticks, you are looking up from the water’s edge, where the 96-metre height of the Elizabeth Tower truly feels monumental. On the deck of our boats, you swap the fumes and noise of the busy London traffic for the open breeze of the Thames, ensuring your first look at Big Ben is as peaceful as it is powerful.

Optimise Your London Visit: Book from the Source

Why fight the crowds when you can start your journey at the foot of the icon? Our Thames River Sightseeing cruises depart daily from the pier directly beneath the Elizabeth Tower.