The origin of the bell's nickname is open to question it may be named after Sir Benjamin Hall, who oversaw its installation, or boxing heavyweight champion Benjamin Caunt. It was the largest bell in the United Kingdom for 23 years. On, celebrations were held to mark the tower's 150th anniversary.īig Ben is the largest of five bells and weighs 13 ¹⁄₂ long tons. Dials of the clock are 23 feet in diameter. Its base is square, measuring 39 feet on each side. It stands 315 feet tall, and the climb from ground level to the belfry is 334 steps.
When completed in 1859, it was, says horologist Ian Westworth, "the prince of timekeepers: the biggest, most accurate four-faced striking and chiming clock in the world". The tower was designed by Augustus Pugin in a neo-gothic style. The tower in which Big Ben is located is officially called the Elizabeth Tower originally just the Clock Tower, it was renamed in 2012 for the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II. Whilst exploring the famous tower, the tour will take you up the 334. Oh, fun!ĭon’t say: “Where literally the third-best thing you’ll see is a scaffolded-up clock.Big Ben is the nickname for the Great Bell of the clock at the north end of the Palace of Westminster in London and is usually extended to refer to both the clock and the clock tower. London Insider Guides Culture by Morgane Croissant T he most famous clock tower in the world and one of the most recognizable landmarks in London alongside Tower Bridge and St. In fact, Big Ben is just the nickname for the bell, its official name being the Great Bell. I heard there’s a place on Oxford Street that sells cushions shaped like emojis. So you tell me, if they can’t see Big Ben, what are tourists supposed to do in London? Oh, so you didn’t see the Acropolis or the Eiffel Tower or the Brandenburg Gate when you went to mainland Europe? Boiling the whole place down to a to-do list of big-ticket attractions is so reductive. Everything else in London is terrible.īut this is a huge, historic city. It was a five-star review, though, which goes to prove that you can’t keep Big Ben down for long.Īre people really coming all the way to London just to look at Big Ben? Of course they are. The tower itself is named Elizabeth Tower and, along with its collection of bells and four vast clock faces, was constructed between. “It’s a clock hanging on the wall and people make a big thing out of it so I thought I find out but it was good to see,” said a fourth. Though the name ‘Big Ben’ is often attributed to the entire clock tower attached to the Houses of Parliament, it is actually the nickname of its largest bell also known as the Great Bell. This was one of the highlights of my trip and it was very disappointing to view it in such a state.” “You can barely even tell what you’re looking at,” said another. Last week, someone wrote: “Big Ben is under complete construction. On Sunday, a visitor from New York gave it the following one-star review: “We were really bummed that we couldn’t enjoy Big Ben this time around as it was under construction!!!!!!” The whole place is brimming with Big Ben fury. Well, I have to say that you sound like an uncharacteristically bitter tourist.
I went all the way to the UK with the express intention of looking at a big clock, and now I can’t because it is covered in scaffolding for the next three years. Is that because of the renovation ? Yes, it is. This year it’s No 3, behind the Tower of London and Tower Bridge. Big Ben was named the UK’s best landmark by TripAdvisor last year.
Actually, I think you’ll find that “Big Ben” refers only to the bell.
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