The clock tower is situated at the north-eastern end of the Houses of Parliament in Westminster, London




The nickname Big Ben is the subject of some debate. The nickname was applied first to the Great Bell; it may have been named after Sir Benjamin Hall, who oversaw the installation of the Great Bell, or after boxing's English Heavyweight Champion Benjamin Caunt. Within the Palace of Westminster and Houses of Parliament, the only recognised use of the nickname is for the bell.. Elsewhere, Big Ben is used to refer to the clock, the tower and the bell, although the nickname is not universally accepted as referring to the clock and tower.. Some authors of works about the tower, clock and bell sidestep the issue by using the words Big Ben first in the title, then going on to clarify that the subject of the book is the clock and tower as well as the bell.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Ben