Big Ben is perhaps the most recognisable symbol of London and of the whole of Great Britain. But few people know that "Big Ben" is not the name of the tower at all. It is the nickname of the enormous bell inside. Since 2012, the tower itself has officially been called Elizabeth Tower — in honour of the 60th anniversary of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II.
How It All Began: A Fire and a Competition
The history of the present tower begins with a catastrophe. In 1834, a fire almost completely destroyed the Palace of Westminster. When Parliament decided to rebuild the building, the architect Charles Barry included a clock tower in the design. For the neo-Gothic decoration, he brought in Augustus Pugin.
Construction of the Big Ben Tower began in 1843 and took many years. But the question of the clock took even longer to resolve. The Astronomer Royal, George Airy, set strict accuracy requirements: the clock had to be so perfect that its readings would be used for checking time. The competition to create the mechanism was won by the lawyer and amateur clockmaker Edmund Beckett Denison.
The Bell That Cracked Twice
The bell had its own drama. The first bell, weighing 16 tonnes, was cast in 1856 and with great difficulty delivered to the tower on a cart drawn by 16 white horses. But during testing it developed a crack 1.2 metres long. A scandal erupted: the manufacturer and the creator of the clock blamed each other.
In 1858, a second bell was cast at the Whitechapel Bell Foundry. Its weight was 13.7 tonnes — at that time it was the largest bell in Great Britain. It was hoisted up the tower again. However, in 1859, history repeated itself: the bell cracked again.
The solution turned out to be unconventional: the bell was rotated 90 degrees so that the crack would not spread further, and the hammer was replaced with a lighter one. It is in this "repaired" state that Big Ben still sounds today.
Why "Big Ben"?
It is not known for certain where this name came from. There are two main versions. According to the first, the bell was named after Sir Benjamin Hall — a senior official who supervised the construction work and, according to rumour, had a substantial physique and a loud voice. According to the other version, the name was borrowed from the famous heavyweight boxer Benjamin Caunt, known as Big Ben.
A Mechanism That Still Astonishes
The Big Ben clock was started on 31 May 1859, and the first strike of the bell sounded on 11 July of the same year.
Here are the main figures about Big Ben:
• The total weight of the clock mechanism is 5 tonnes.
• The diameter of the clock face is 7 metres (one of the largest in Great Britain).
• The length of the minute hand is 4.2 metres, weight — 100 kg.
• The length of the hour hand is 2.7 metres, weight — 300 kg.
• The pendulum weighs 300 kg and is 4.4 metres long.
The accuracy of the movement is regulated in an old-fashioned way. If the clock begins to run slow, an old one-penny coin is placed on the pendulum — this speeds up the movement by 0.4 seconds per day. If it runs fast, the coin is removed. The accuracy is so high that the first strike of the bell falls exactly on the first second of the hour.
What Can Be Seen Outside and Inside
Each of the four clock faces is made of cast-iron sections, and the glass is opalescent. Originally the hands and dials were Prussian blue, but in the 1930s they were repainted black to hide traces of air pollution.
At the base of the clock faces, in Latin, is written: "Domine salvam fac reginam nostram Victoriam Primam" ("God save our Queen Victoria the First"). On the sides of the clock is the inscription "Laus Deo" ("Praise be to God").
Above the belfry is the Ayrton Light — a glowing lantern that is lit when the House of Commons sits after nightfall. Originally it was oriented towards Buckingham Palace so that Queen Victoria could see from her window whether Parliament was working.
Can You Get Inside Big Ben?
Yes, but it is not easy. Official tours of Elizabeth Tower are conducted, but the number of places is extremely limited and the requirements are strict.
What you need to know about Big Ben:
• Age: only from 11 years old.
• The climb: 334 steps up a narrow spiral staircase. The tour lasts about 90 minutes, with stops for rest.
• Physical fitness: the tour is not suitable for people with limited mobility, a fear of heights, or sensitivity to loud sounds. It is very noisy inside — protective headphones are provided.
• What you will see: the internal clock mechanism, the belfry itself with Big Ben (you can stand next to it when it strikes), as well as the view from behind the clock faces.
• Tickets: sold online. An adult ticket costs about £35, a child`s ticket (11–17 years) — £20. Tickets are released once a month, usually on the second Wednesday at 10:00 a.m., and sell out very quickly.
• For UK citizens, there is the possibility of a free visit through a Member of Parliament, but the number of such places is limited.
Interesting Facts About Big Ben to Finish
Big Ben tower is slightly tilted. Because of the soft ground beneath the foundation, it deviates to the north-west by about 230 mm. Specialists believe this will not be a problem for at least another 4,000–10,000 years.
Big Ben was silent during the wars. During the First World War, the bells fell silent so that enemy aircraft would not use them as a landmark. During the Second World War, the clock faces were not illuminated from 1939 to 1945.
There is a prison room inside. In the tower there is an oak chamber that was last used in 1880 to imprison an atheist Member of Parliament. Today the Petitions Committee meets there.
