Big Ben Big Ben in Westminster - The name Big Ben is often used to describe the tower, the clock and the bell but the name was first given to the Great Bell. There are 334 steps to the belfrey and a total of 393 to the lantern (the Ayrton Light). The Clock Tower was completed in 1859 and the Great Clock started on 31 May, with the Great Bell’s strikes heard for the first time on 11 July ...

The Houses of Parliament Westminster Hall is a striking building and is officially a royal palace. Standing on the banks of the river Thames the Parliamentary buildings hold many important historical stories, most famously Guy Fawkes. The building originates from 1840 after a fire destroyed the previous building. Big Ben towers 96 metres high in the sky overlooking Westminster. In the summer months it can get pretty congested with tourists and traffic competing to cross Parliament Square

London Eye At 135 metres above London, the London Eye is the worlds tallest observation wheel, with 40km panoramic views on a clear day. Constructed in 1999 it is the largest observation wheel in the world and visited by 3.5 million people a year.

The Shell Grotto In 1835 Mr James Newlove lowered his young son Joshua into a hole in the ground that had appeared during the digging of a duck pond. Joshua emerged describing tunnels covered with shells. He had discovered the Shell Grotto; 70ft of winding underground passages leading to an oblong chamber. The Shell Grotto is on Grotto Hill, Margate, Kent, around five minutes’ walk from the seafront and a 20-minute walk from Margate Station (direct ...