According to an ICM poll commissioned by the Mayor of London’s Visit London promotion, two-thirds of Londoners don’t know whether Big Ben is a clock tower, bell or clock face*.

Five hundred London residents took part in the survey, which covered world-famous capital landmarks such as St Paul’s Cathedral, the Tower of London and the Bank of England.

According to the survey’s results, it has emerged that those polled got an average of one question in 10 right, with 59 per cent of east Londoners not getting a single question right.

Region on region, South Londoners scored the highest points out of 10, whilst east Londoners – on average – got only 0.91 points, despite many claiming Cockney heritage.

The ICM researchers also found that half of Londoners believe Big Ben is the clock tower of the Houses of Parliament, while a further 13 per cent think it is the clock face.

One of London’s most famous architects, Norman Foster, fared just as badly. Respondents were unsure whether he had designed the London Eye, the great court of the British Museum, or the British Library, whilst almost eight in 10 surveyed incorrectly thought that St Paul’s Cathedral is one of London’s four world heritage sites. Details: www.visitlondon.com (*It’s a bell)