Big Ben is under restoration! Completion of restoration work is scheduled for 2021.
Big Ben is a 96 meter tall clock tower located in the north-eastern part of the British Parliament in Westminster. The attraction is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Although the actual name of the tower is the Clock Tower, it is often called Big Ben. Big Tom or Big Ben Tower. The Clock Tower is one of the most recognizable structures in London and is its signature, just like the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Since its creation in 1859, the tower has served as the most reliable clockwork in London, and has also been used to celebrate any national event. The whole city converges on the tower to celebrate New Year, and all radio and television stations check the time with Big Ben. The clock strike is also broadcast every year on the Day of Remembrance of the Victims of the First and Second World Wars at exactly eleven o'clock on the eleventh day of the eleventh month as a sign of the coming peace. The bell can be heard at a distance of up to 12 kilometers.
Big Ben is often mistakenly called the tower itself. In fact, the bell bears this nickname, and the tower itself is officially called the “Elizabeth Tower”. It was renamed in honor of the Diamond Jubilee of Her Majesty Elizabeth II. 2012 The clock tower is also mistakenly called St. Stephen's Tower. However, the latter is actually a small tower in the courtyard of the Palace complex, which serves as the main entry point for debaters in the House of Lords and House of Commons. Currently, Big Ben does not look very aesthetically pleasing, because due to reconstruction it is covered with scaffolding. The Palace of Westminster is only half closed from the view of tourists; a small reconstruction affected it too. It is worth noting that this does not stop tourists at all.
Facts and figures
Height: 96 meters;
Area: 12 square meters;
Number of steps: 334;
Amount of stone used: 850 cubic meters;
Number of bricks used: 2600 cubic meters;
Number of floors: 11;
The tower tilts northwest 8.66 inches.
Elizabeth Tower
The British have always been famous for their ability to do everything original, unlike other countries, this is confirmed by the left-handed traffic, monarchical traditions preserved through the centuries and much more. This feature did not bypass Big Ben. Elizabeth's Tower was erected in a special way- from the inside out, that is, the scaffolding was installed inside the structure, and not outside, as is customary to do all over the world. Materials were transported by river and delivered to masons using winches. Materials for the construction of the Elizabeth Tower came from all over the United Kingdom: cast iron channels came from the Regent's Canal ironworks, for the construction of the external parts of the walls, stone was imported from Yorkshire, granite from Cornwall, metal sheets for the roof from a foundry in Birmingham.
The foundation was laid on September 28, 1843. The foundation pit was dug to a depth of 3 meters. The whole of the United Kingdom had a hand in creating the famous landmark, but it was never celebrated. The official opening ceremony of Big Ben did not take place, possibly because its commissioning was delayed by 5 years, in 1859. The tower was designed by Charles Berry, the chief architect at the royal court.
Watch
To find a first-class watchmaker, a competition was organized, the main requirement of which was to develop a clock mechanism accurate to one second from the beginning of each hour and telegraph the exact time to the Greenwich Observatory twice a day. The architect Berry was an excellent specialist in his field, but he was not a watchmaker. Such exaggerated requirements for those times led to a seven-year delay in delivery. The honor of developing the main clock of London fell not to the watchmaker, but to the lawyer Edmund Beckett Denison. The next delay arose because the space inside the tower was too small for the planned clock design. It was planned that the reconstruction of the tower would cost 100 pounds sterling, but in fact the amount turned out to be much more - 2,500 pounds, unthinkable money at that time. It's interesting to note that if Big Ben were built today, it would cost around US$200,000. Denison made a huge contribution to the concept of clock precision: he developed a special mechanism that allows the pendulum to withstand influences external factors, such as wind force. Since then, Denison's invention has been used in watches all over the world.
The clock was installed in the tower in April 1859. They didn't work at first because the cast iron minute hands were too heavy. Once these were replaced with lighter copper hands, the mechanism successfully began telling the time on May 31, 1859, shortly before the installation of the Big Ben bell. Each dial is made of cast iron, has a diameter of 7 meters and contains 312 individual pieces of opal glass with an opaque finish. Under each dial there is an inscription carved in stone in Latin: "Domine Salvam fac Reginam nostrum Victoriam primam", which means "God save our Queen Victoria I". Once every 5 years, the Big Ben dials are washed by professional window cleaners, who go down on ropes and extremely carefully wash the stained glass windows of the dials with a special cleaning solution, trying not to press on them with their hands and not damage the historical relic. Every year the clock is adjusted using a coin. If the clock runs fast, a penny is added to the pendulum. If the clock is running slowly, a penny is removed from the pendulum. The clock gains two and a half seconds from every penny added. The clock was four and a half minutes slow in August 1949 when a flock of starlings sat on the minute hand.
Facts about watches
- Number of dials: 4;
- Diameter of clock disks: 7 meters;
- Number size: 60 centimeters;
- Dial material: cast iron;
- Stained glass: 312 opal glass elements;
- Lighting for each dial: 28 energy-efficient lamps with a power of 85 W each;
- Lifespan of each energy efficient lamp: 60,000 hours.
Minute hands:
- Material: copper;
- Weight: 100 kilograms, including counterweights;
- Length: 4.2 meters;
- Distance traveled by minute hands per year: equivalent to 190 kilometers.
Hour hands:
Great Bell
Officially, the bell of Elizabeth Tower is called the Great Bell, although it is known throughout the world as Big Ben. There are two theories about the origin of this name: it is named after Sir Benjamin Hall, the first member of the Parliamentary Committee (1855-1858), or it is named after Ben Count, the heavyweight boxing champion of the 1850s, also known as "Big Ben" . This nickname was usually given by society to anything that was the heaviest in its class. The first theory is believed to be the most likely. In August 1856 the bell was delivered to railway and the sea to London. Upon arrival at the port of London, he was transferred to a passenger carriage and pulled across Westminster Bridge on 16 white horses. The bell was first installed in the New Palace Yard and tested every day until October 17, 1857, when it developed a 1.2 meter crack.
The second bell was released on April 10, 1858. It was 2.5 tons lighter than the first. It was installed on July 11, 1859, but its success was short-lived. In September 1859, the new bell also cracked, and Big Ben remained silent for four years. In 1863, the solution was found by Sir George Airy, Astronomer Royal. Big Ben was turned a quarter turn so that the hour hammer would strike in a different place and was replaced with a lighter one. Since then, Big Ben has almost always functioned properly. Interestingly, the four small bells that ring every 15 minutes are nameless.
Facts about the Great Bell
Stopping the clock
The 2007 shutdown was the longest suspension since 1990. The clock mechanism was also stopped for two days in October 2005 to allow inspection of the brake shaft. Previous stops of clock mechanisms occurred in 1934 for 2 months and in 1956 for 6 months. For many years, clocks stopped completely randomly - by weather, workers, breakdowns or birds. The most serious failure occurred on the night of August 10, 1976, when part of the shimming mechanism fell off due to old age of the metal. This caused a lot of damage, but fortunately no one was hurt.
Reconstruction of Big Ben
A major conservation program for the Elizabeth Tower, the Great Clock and the Great Bell, also known as Big Ben, began in early 2017. The total cost of the project is estimated at £61 million, not £29 million as announced in the spring of 2016. Big Ben, which is visited by around 12,000 people every year, is carefully looked after by the Heritage Parliament team. Completion of restoration work is scheduled for 2021.
Sightseeing tours of Big Ben
All tours of Big Ben are suspended due to restoration work. During the renovation, a series of free morning talks are being held on Thursdays. The hour-long presentation, presented by the custodians of Big Ben, covers the history and workings of the famous clock and iconic tower, followed by a short question and answer session. UK residents and overseas visitors can book tickets for a range of other Parliamentary tours, running on Saturdays throughout the year and on weekdays during the Parliamentary Recess. Tickets can be purchased online, by phone or on the day of your visit at the ticket office at the entrance.
Hotels
There are a lot of hotels and small hostels near the Elizabeth Tower in a price range to suit every budget. The tower is located in the very heart of the city, side by side with other world-class attractions; in the Westminster area it will not be difficult to find accommodation.
A little further there is the stop “Westminster Station Bridge St.” with routes No. and . By bus No. RT1 you can get to the stop “Westminster Pier”. This bus route is especially interesting, since along the route it goes around the Thames and offers a picturesque view from the window.Big Ben is located in the oldest district of London. The concentration of attractions in the historical quarter is so high that sometimes it is impossible to immediately grasp how many cultural objects come into view at one time. Along with Big Ben, you can't miss visiting the Palace of Westminster. It is there that debates between the House of Lords and the House of Commons have been held since ancient times. Directly opposite the tower is Westminster Abbey, one of the world's most important religious sites, where services have been held since 1090 to this day. On the opposite side, you can stroll through the oldest Royal St. James's Park in London, where one attraction smoothly flows into another.
Big Ben on Google Panorama:
Big Ben on video:
The most famous clock in London is Big Ben. Their photos can be seen in many publications, public and photographic. What is this famous landmark? Let's start with the fact that this tower is the largest of the bells that have the honor of being in the Palace of Westminster. In fact, the name does not belong to the tower, but to the bell inside it. It weighs thirteen tons, which exceeds any bell belonging to this palace. The bell itself is modestly hidden behind the clock, which hides it with a dial.
Previously, this landmark was called the Clock Tower of the Palace of Westminster. And six years ago it was decided to change the name to the Elizabeth Tower.
Big Ben in London
Big Ben Clock: history of clocks
The chimes began in the forties of the nineteenth century. It all started thanks to the decision of the architect Charles Barry to attach a new clock tower to the building he was renovating. Charles Berry was occupied by the old Westminster building. However, thanks to the fact that parliament agreed to sponsor the construction, it took place. However, such a decision was preceded by a condition - the clock had to be the most accurate in the country, and its ringing could be heard by everyone in the capital.
Charles Berry
The appearance of the tower was taken up by Augustus Pugin, who at that time was a recognized master working in the neo-Gothic style, and took up the development of the design of the tower.
Augustus Pugin
Neo-Gothic was very popular during this period, it allowed a combination of both Gothic and classical styles. In many elements, neo-Gothic is similar to ordinary Gothic, however, these same elements: columns, vaults, spiers, were changed by contemporaries. Gothic became popular in the nineteenth century thanks to the aristocracy. England was full of buildings built in the Gothic style, these buildings were not to be demolished or rebuilt due to their historical significance. Therefore, the new developer had no choice but to repeat the already established style. By the way, because of this fashion, England missed most of the new trends in Europe. For example, lush baroque bypassed her. Moreover, Gothic elements began to appear even in residential buildings, for example, estates.
In the thirty-fourth year of the nineteenth century Palace of Westminster survived the fire. The latter destroyed almost everything, so masters of their craft began restoring the building. The famous clock was launched in the fifty-ninth year of the nineteenth century. From the moment it is launched until every passing second, this amazing movement demonstrates precision that is recognized as the standard.
Palace of Westminster
Contemporaries put forward several versions, which is why the watch was so named. The first refers to Benjamin Hall, who supervised the construction, and the second to Benjamin Count, a popular boxer.
Description
The tower itself is a building almost one hundred meters high, the height of a sixteen-story building, and it is impossible for anyone to enter the tower. This precaution is taken due to the lack of elevators and lifts in the structure. If an exception is still allowed, the visitor will have to overcome more than three hundred steps. However, this test is worth the result. Visitors can enjoy stunning views of London. Their diameter reaches seven meters, and the hands – two meters, seven hundred centimeters and four meters, two hundred centimeters.
Cast iron was used for the hour hand and copper for the minute hand. The roof of the tower consists of brick covered with limestone. A spire is installed on top.
Photo of Big Ben in London
In fact, there is no clock in the world more reliable than the one in Big Ben. Their weight is several tons. However, this is not what makes this mechanism outstanding. Behind the flawless operation of the mechanism is a master of his craft - Edward John Dent. He was an outstanding watchmaker and carried on his work until the fifty-fourth year of the nineteenth century. During this process, the watchmaker built a completely new movement with three stages. Thanks to this mechanism, it became possible to separate the pendulum and the heavy clock mechanism.
Edward John Dent
Astronomer George Airey also had a hand in this amazing symbol of London. He planned to adjust the accuracy of not only the clock mechanism but also the bell. Such an idea could only be carried out using the telegraph: a person would contact the observatory in Greenwich and set the bell in motion. This would require a special caretaker on whom the clock depends. In addition, materials were needed that would ensure the reliability of the entire structure. Cast iron was originally used, however, due to the weight of the mechanism, it was replaced with a lighter metal.
George Airey
They had the opportunity to show their exceptional reliability during the war. It was the Second World War that became a great test for the city. Even the bombings with which the Germans terrorized the city could not disrupt their progress. During the war, the tower, roof and two dials were damaged, however, the clock's operation was not disrupted. It was after such events that watches began to be perceived by the people of Great Britain as a symbol of constancy, indestructibility and accuracy.
I travel regularly. About three trips a year for 10-15 days and many 2 and 3 day hikes.To be precise, Big Ben is the largest bell located in the clock tower of the Palace of Westminster. Over time, Big Ben began to be called not only the bell, but also the tower itself, as well as the four-sided clock installed on it.
There are always a lot of tourists in the square near the Palace of Westminster, because not coming here is like coming to Paris and not seeing the Eiffel Tower or visiting Moscow and not visiting Red Square.
Currently, the Palace of Westminster includes: the Clock Tower and the Victoria Tower, Westminster Hall and the Lobby, as well as the House of Lords and the House of Commons, where the British Parliament operates.
Address of Big Ben and Westminster
The address of the Parliamentary complex is The Houses 01 Parliament St. Margaret Street London SW1A2AT.
How to get to Big Ben and Westminster
Big Ben is located in the historic district of Westminster and you can get to it:
Metro
Nearest station - Westminster
By bus
Take any bus to Parliament Square (Parliament Square in Victoria Street, opposite the Palace of Westminster) or to Trafalgar Square (Trafalgar Square in Whitehall).
Excursions to Big Ben in 2019
Tours to Big Ben are suspended due to renovations. Visits are planned to resume in 2020.
Excursions to Westminster (UK Parliament) in 2019
The British Parliament building (Westminster) can be visited with an audio guide (available in Russian). Excursions are only available on days when parliament is closed:
- Weekly on Saturdays until December 28, 2019
- IN summer period(26 July to 30 August 2019) Westminster can be visited from Monday to Friday. Exception - July 29 and August 26
- Check available dates on the official website (see below)
It is highly recommended to purchase tickets in advance on the official website. It is better to arrive at the parliament building 15-20 minutes before the time indicated on the ticket. Be sure to have a passport or ID card with you (security may require it). Upon entry, there is a security screening similar to that at an airport, so it is recommended to take as few items as possible. Photography is only possible in some rooms.
Cost of an excursion with an audio guide to the British Parliament (Westminster) in 2019.
- Full ticket £19.5
- Students and over 60s £17
- Children under 5 years old - free
- Children from 5 to 15 years old - one child with one adult free; additional child ticket £8
Origin of the name Big Ben
There is still controversy over the name of the most majestic bell in the Palace of Westminster. According to one version, it came from the name of Benjamin Hall, the master who supervised the installation of the bell on the tower. Sir Benjamin was a large man and was often called Big Ben, and later the name Big Ben passed on to the bell, clock and tower.
It should be noted that the tower of the Palace of Westminster was previously called St. Stephen's Tower, and in honor of the Queen's 60th birthday in 2012, it received official name Elizabeth II, although most often she is still called Big Ben.
History of the construction of the Palace of Westminster
The question of building a new Parliament complex arose after the fire in October 1834, when almost all the buildings of the Palace of Westminster were destroyed. Then a competition was announced for the development of the project, and only works in the style of Elizabethan times and pseudo-Gothic were considered. According to the organizers of the competition, these were the styles that were national and reminiscent of the medieval origins of the British parliamentary system.
The competition was won by Charles Barry, who became the chief architect of the Palace of Westminster, according to whose design the clock tower was built. He commissioned the architect and draftsman Augustus Pagin to develop its design, for whom this work, as he admitted, was the most difficult in his life. Unfortunately, the tower project was Pugin's last: he soon went crazy and died.
Big Ben Tower
The tower was erected in the neo-Gothic style in 1858. Its height together with the cast iron spire is 96.3 meters, and without the spire - 61 meters.
The massive foundation has an area of 15 square meters. meters, its thickness is three meters, it goes 7 meters into the ground.
There is no elevator in the tower, and caretakers, as well as tourists, have to walk to the top.
Foreign tourists are not allowed to enter the tower, however, residents of the United Kingdom can climb a small observation deck, having climbed 334 steps along a narrow spiral staircase. During the tour, they will learn about the workings of the clock mechanism and see London from a height of 62 meters.
Due to changes in ground conditions, including the construction of the Jubilee Line subway tunnel, the tower has tilted to the northwest by approximately 220 millimeters, giving a tilt of approximately 1/250. Depending on weather conditions, this slope changes to the north or west by several millimeters.
At a height of 55 meters, the tower houses a clock mechanism.
Big Ben Clock
The giant clock was created by amateur watchmaker Edmund Beckett Denison. The four dials are located at an altitude of 55 meters. The clock was launched on May 31, 1859 and in 2009 a grand celebration of its 150th anniversary took place.
Big Ben clock is the most big clock with the fight in the world:
- The weight of the mechanism is 5 tons
- The diameter of the dials is 7 meters,
- The length of the large hands, made of copper sheet, is 4.2 meters
- The length of small hands made of cast iron is 2.7 meters
- The pendulums are 4 meters long and weigh 300 kilograms.
Under the dial there is an inscription in Latin “God save our Queen Victoria I”, along the perimeter of the tower - “Praise the Lord”.
Interestingly, the accuracy of the clock is adjusted using 1p coins - if you add one coin, the pendulum slows down by 0.4 seconds. In a year, the minute hands travel 190 kilometers.
- During the two years of World War I, the dials were darkened and the bells did not ring. Throughout World War II, although the bells rang, the dials were also darkened
- In May 1941, as a result of a German air raid, two dials and the roof of the tower were damaged, but the clock continued to work
- IN New Year's Eve 1962, due to icing of the hands, in order to prevent damage, the pendulum, as was intended in such cases, was disconnected from the clock mechanism and swung idle. As a result, the Big Ben clock announced the arrival of the New Year 1962 10 minutes later.
Bell Big Ben
It was decided that the clock should strike, for which a huge bell was cast. During the first test, it cracked, and therefore a smaller bell was cast.
- The weight of the Big Ben bell is 13.7 tons
- Height – more than two meters
- Diameter is about three meters.
Alas, two months later, to the great regret of foundry master George Mears, a crack appeared on the bell. The hammer turned out to be twice as heavy as the maximum possible, determined by Mears, and therefore the heavy tongue damaged the bell.
For three years, only four small bells were rung, weighing between 1 and 4 tons. These junior “colleagues” announced the time every quarter of an hour.
Big Ben was then turned a quarter turn to keep the hammer out of the crack, and later a larger one was made for it. easy language. The hammer currently weighs 200 kilograms.
Since 1859, the bell of Big Ben has struck every hour and in 150 years it has struck more than 8 million times.
At the beginning of each hour, small bells sound, one of which plays the melody of the Bells of Westminster, and then you will hear the sounds of the famous Big Ben.
Until 1912, the dial was illuminated by gas jets, which were later replaced by electric bulbs, and the sounds of the bell were first heard on the radio on December 31, 1923.
Big Ben's bell is the second largest in the UK after Great Paul's, the bell of St Paul's Cathedral in London.
Big Ben is a symbol of London and business card capital of Great Britain, and the famous clock tower is the screensaver for the news program. In addition, we often see Big Ben in films whose authors want to show that the action takes place in the capital of Great Britain.
In London there is a large number of attractions and recognizable symbols, but one of the most popular is the Clock Tower of the Palace of Westminster, often called Big Ben.
In fact, the name Big Ben refers to the largest bell among the six bells installed inside the tower. The tower itself was previously called the Clock Tower or St. Stephen's Tower, but in September 2012 it was renamed in honor of the reigning Queen of Great Britain, Elizabeth II. But the name “Big Ben” is still used to refer to the bell, the clock, and the tower itself.
Name
The question of where the name “Big Ben” came from (translated as “Big Ben”) still causes some controversy. Initially, its name referred only to the large bell inside the clock tower.
It is believed that the name of the bell comes from the name of the chief commissioner for construction work, Benjamin Hall. According to another theory, the bell was named after the mid-19th century heavyweight boxer Benjamin Count.
There is also a legend according to which they planned to name the bell Victoria in honor of Queen Victoria, but no documentary evidence has been preserved to confirm this.
Now many people call the name “Big Ben” not only the bell, but the entire tower. In official literature such names are not found, the clock tower and the bell are distinguished, but in the speech of London residents and tourists, Big Ben is the tower of the Palace of Westminster, famous to all people without exception and recognizable throughout the world.
Big Ben Tower
The Big Ben Clock Tower was erected in 1288 at Westminster in London with the money of Ralph Hengham, who was the head of the Supreme Court of the King's Bench. But that tower, along with the old building, was destroyed by fire in October 1834.
After this, the tower we know today was erected as part of the Palace of Westminster, designed by Charles Berry. The parliament building itself was built in the neo-Gothic style. Main architector Charles Berry handed over the construction and design of the tower to the architect Augustus Pugin.
He considered this project the most difficult of his career. It was the tower project that became O. Pugin’s last project, after which he went crazy and died.
The height of the tower with the spire is 96.3 m, without the spire 61 m. It is made of brick covered with colored limestone; the spire is made of cast iron. The dials in it are located at an altitude of 55 meters.
Access to the inside of the tower is closed to public visits due to security reasons, only various important people or the press sometimes gain access there. There is no lift or special elevator here, so the “lucky ones” who get access inside have to walk more than 300 steps to get to the top.
After the tower was built in London, there were some changes to the ground (particularly due to the laying of the underground line under it), which led to the fact that the tower deviates slightly (by about 220 mm) to the north-west.
Clockwork
The tower clock began its operation on May 21, 1859. The movement of this watch is reliable and accurate. The Big Ben clock is considered the largest four-sided striking clock in the world.
The largest clock without a chime is now located in the USA, in the state of Wisconsin, on the Allen-Bradley Clock Tower in Milwaukee: the residents of London were somewhat lucky that they did not lose the palm - in the Allen-Bradley Tower they could not add a chime to the clock.
The watch dial was designed by O. Pugin. The design of the clock mechanism was carried out by the royal astronomer George Airey and the amateur watchmaker Edmund Beckett Denison. The assembly of the clock was entrusted to watchmaker Edward John Dent, who completed his work in 1854.
The watch dials are in iron frames, and they consist of 312 pieces of opal glass. Some of these pieces can be removed by hand and inspected.
While the tower was not completed, until 1859 E.B. Denison had the opportunity to experiment with them: then he invented a double three-stage movement, which provided better separation of the pendulum and the clock mechanism.
The clock mechanism itself weighs about 5 tons. The clock pendulum is located below the clock room in a special windproof box. The length of the pendulum is 3.9 m and its weight is 300 kg. The pendulum moves every two seconds.
The accuracy of the pendulum can be adjusted with 1 pence coins. The idiomatic expression "put a penny", meaning to slow down, comes precisely from the method of tuning a pendulum. When 1 coin is added on top, the pendulum slows down by 0.4 seconds.
There are some dates in the history of clockwork when watches stopped for some reason on purpose or by accident:
- during the First World War, the bells on the tower did not ring for two years, and the dials were darkened to prevent attacks by German troops,
- During the Second World War in London, for the same reasons, the dials were darkened at night, but the bells continued to ring,
- before the New Year 1962, the famous London clock slowed down because there was a lot of heavy snow and ice on the hands, which is why it rang 10 minutes late (after which the design of the clock mechanism was improved),
- On August 5, 1976, the first serious breakdown of the watch took place: the speed regulator of the ringing mechanism broke down (the watch was started again only on May 9, 1977),
- On May 27, 2005, the Big Ben clock stopped twice in one day, after which it was restarted (this is associated with the abnormal heat for this time in London),
- On October 29, 2005, the clock was stopped for 33 hours for maintenance purposes.
- On June 5, 2006, the clock tower bells were removed because the mount holding one of them had worn out.
- August 11, 2007 began Maintenance bells, which lasted 6 weeks (during this time the running gear and tongue of the large bell were replaced): the clock at this time did not run from a conventional mechanism, but from an electric motor.
Big Ben Bell
It is the largest bell in the tower that is called Big Ben. It was originally cast in 1856 in Stockton-on-Tees by John Warner and Sons and weighed 16 tons. Until the construction of the tower was completed, the bell was located in New Palace Yard.
The bell was brought to the tower on a cart drawn by 16 horses. When trial tests began on the bell, it cracked, necessitating repairs. After its alteration, it began to weigh about 13 tons.
The bell is 2.9 m high and 2.2 m long. The bell first rang in London in July 1859. In September it cracked again due to the fact that the hammer for it was twice the allowable weight.
For three years after this, Big Ben was not used, and only quarter bells rang every 15 minutes. The repair of the bell consisted of turning it over so that the hammer was in a different place. It continues to be used today with a crack.
Big Ben was originally the largest bell in England, but in 1881 the Big Paul Bell, weighing 17 tons, appeared in St. Paul's Cathedral.
Detailed description of Big Ben in London, its history, Interesting Facts, as well as colorful photographs, are available in almost every tourist guide in the world, because it is truly a unique structure. To begin with, it should be noted that the clock tower, which is commonly called Big Ben, is not such. In fact, this name belongs to one of the 6 bells located in it.
History of creation
First architectural structure It was built on the site of present-day Big Ben in 1288. The tower was located on the territory of the Palace of Westminster, but was not part of it. Construction was carried out by Ralph Hengham, who headed the panel of the Supreme Court at the royal court.
In the autumn of 1834, the surroundings of the Palace of Westminster were engulfed in a severe fire, unable to withstand which the old buildings were completely destroyed. The tower itself was severely burned and could not be restored. Restoration work began almost immediately. The architectural project, of which the tower of St. Stephen's Tower, also known as Queen Victoria's Tower, was designed by the architects Charles Berry and Augustus Pugin.
The tower was originally conceived as a clock tower. Its neo-Gothic style could not have been more compatible with the surrounding environment. The size of the structure is 98 meters high and another 15 meters deep. This is not the most high building in modern London, but certainly one of the most famous and popular among tourists. In addition, miniature Big Ben towers are found in many places around the world, decorating park areas and attractions.
Name
There is no reliable information about why the bell that triggers the clock mechanism is named Big Ben in the surviving historical sources. The most likely version was the name of the bell in honor of Benjamin Hall, a rich and noble lord, whose speech regarding the choice of a suitable name for the new landmark allegedly prompted other lords to support the idea of naming the bell in his honor.
The lord was broad-shouldered, tall, and could compete in strength with the heaviest fighters, for which he was nicknamed Big Ben.
Phil Dolby/flickr.com
According to another version, Benjamin Hall is just a foreman who led construction work and delivered Big Ben to London, which gave him the right to go down in history.
A less popular version is that the name of the bell is associated with the name of one of the then strongmen - Benjamin Count.
How does the clock work?
The Big Ben Clock Tower is square, with huge dials on each side, allowing everyone nearby, regardless of their location, to see the time shown. The clock is located at a height of 55 meters from the surface of the earth.
The dial consists of 312 individual elements smelted from glass opal, some parts of which can be freely removed, cleaned, or replaced with new ones. The edges of the watch are covered with steel; its mechanism was first started on May 21, 1859.
The development of the clock mechanism was in charge of Benjamin Valyami; later the project was transferred to another master, who, to better separate the pendulum and the clock mechanism, invented a double three-stage movement, which increased the weight of the clock to 5 tons. The master managed to place a pendulum weighing 300 kilograms and 3.9 meters long under the clock room.
The pendulum moves every 2 seconds, from negative impact environment (rain, snow and wind) it is protected by a special box. To reduce the overall weight, the minute hand was cast from copper, and the hour hand from cast iron.
The Big Ben bell was cast in 1856. It weighed 16 tons and was delivered in a carriage with 16 heavy horses harnessed to it. The casting of the bell was carried out by a private company, which was no longer news in those days. After delivery to London, Big Ben's clock and the bell itself waited a long time for completion of construction.
After the first start of the clock, a crack appeared on the bell. Experts found that the cause of the breakdown was an overly heavy hammer. The bell was repaired, the hammer was replaced with a lighter one, but this did not help.
Ultimately, it was necessary to reduce the weight of the bell to 13.5 tons, but this did not help; the crack still appeared in the same place. Further reduction in his weight could cause hours of loss of volume. You could hear their fight from any part of London. To prevent this from happening, the bell was turned over to the other side and the crack was sealed.
No less pressing was the issue of watch accuracy; Benjamin Valyami believed that due to the complexity of the mechanism, it would not be possible to achieve sufficient accuracy. Royal astronomer George Airy managed to refute this statement. The scientist and the master argued for over 5 years, the result of which was the entrustment of the project to a certain E. Dent, who designed a clock mechanism with the required high degree accuracy.
So that the time could be seen not only during the day, but also at night, the hands were illuminated using gas jets. With the advent of electricity, electric lamps replaced horns.
Camilla Carvalho/flickr.com
On December 31, 1923, the fight issued by Big Ben became available to radio listeners. From now on, the chimes sound at the beginning of every hour on all radio stations broadcasting programs on English language.
Video: Big Ben, London.
There are many legends and myths around London's Big Ben, but there are also some more reliable and interesting facts. So, all Englishmen are well aware that:
- On each side of the tower, directly below the clock, there is an inscription in Latin meaning “God save our Queen Victoria.”
- The inscription “Praise the Lord” is engraved along the perimeter of the tower.
- The tower and the huge bell that crowned it became the last project in the architectural career of Augustus Pugin. Soon after the construction was completed, he went crazy and died, never regaining his sanity.
- Big Ben is the largest bell, with the help of which it was possible to make the clock beat the rhythm. At the same time, the tower itself is the only structure on which a four-sided clock is located, capable of not only showing the time, but also notifying the district about the arrival of each hour.
- The tower's location almost in the center of the Greenwich meridian allows Londoners to be the first in the world to change the clock from December 31 to January 1.
- During the war years, both World War I and World War II, the dial was darkened at night. Due to the security measures taken, the chimes were not struck for over 2 years.
- The watch broke down several times, the most significant breakdown occurred on August 5, 1976, the mechanism resumed operation only in May 1977.
- Since the tower was built without taking into account possible underground work in this area (meaning the laying of a metro line), its angle of inclination shifted by 2.2 centimeters.
- There is no free access to the tower; only British citizens who have received a special pass can visit it; tourists are forced to watch from the outside.
- There are 334 steps inside the building, which you can climb to view the outskirts of London from a height of 62 meters.
- To prevent the clock from falling behind, which began immediately after installing the heavy mechanism, a coin of 1 penny is placed on one of the hands (the coin slows down the movement of the pendulum by 0.4 seconds and speeds up its movement by 2.5 seconds per day).
- Yearly journey The minute hand of Big Ben is 190 kilometers.
- To verify the accuracy of the clock, a telegraph message was used, in addition, Big Ben was connected to the Greenwich Laboratory, which made it possible to obtain the most accurate information for reconciling clocks.
- During World War II, Big Ben was bombed, which had a significant impact on the operation of the mechanism and caused it to regularly lag.
- In 2012, the tower received a new name - “Elizabeth II Tower”. The renaming took place on the birthday of the Queen, beloved by all the English.
- Big Ben and the smaller bells surrounding it tap out a rhythm that forms a phrase from the Bible, the exact wording of which can be found in any reference book.
- The clock strikes down to the second, and the chimes continue throughout the first second of the hour.
- If there is a regular session in parliament, the tower is illuminated with additional floodlights.
- For some time, the clock tower was a place of detention for rebellious parliamentarians.
- The length of the minute hands is 4.2 meters, the length of the hour hands is 2.7 meters.
- The watch mechanism is checked regularly, checking exact time. Usually, reconciliation occurs at least once every 2 days; one of the watchmakers was almost fired from his honorary position after receiving news that the chimes were significantly behind by at least 10 minutes.
- The British call copies of Big Ben Little Bens; the most famous one is installed at Victoria Station.
The special design of the bell and clock mechanism makes the sound that the Big Ben clock makes in London unique. To admire and listen to them, just ask a London taxi driver to take you to Parliament Square or take the tube and get off at Westminster station. You definitely won’t be able to miss such a magnificent structure; the tower is visible from almost all corners of London.
Hernan Pinera/flickr.com
Unfortunately, as mentioned above, tourists cannot admire the bell itself, but they have a chance to see an equally outstanding structure, which is located on one of the towers of St. Paul's Cathedral. Bell cast for this cathedral in 1881, weighs about 17 tons.
