Construction on the clocktower began in 1843 and was not completed until 1859. There are 334 steps from the ground to the belfry. It is #22 on the list of tallest clocktowers in the world and the third tallest in the UK. The clocktower known as Big Ben is 316 feet high. It was last used for a prisoner in 1880, and is now used by the Petitions Committee. There is one room inside of Big Ben called the Prison Room. There is a spiral staircase leading up to the belfry, where the bells and the clock’s mechanical workings can be accessed. The inside of Big Ben is primarily utilitarian and just used for clock and chime functions. The clock face itself used to also only be lit when Parliament was sitting, but has been illuminated all night since 1876. It could be seen by the Queen in Buckingham palace so she could know when they were at work. In 1873, a light (originally a lantern) was added and it shines when the House of Commons is in session after dark. In addition to just displaying the time, Big Ben also indicates when Parliament is in session. But it was also built at time when not everyone was carrying an iPhone, so it served a practical purpose of telling the time as well. The tower was immaculately designed as an important symbol of the country and democracy itself. What is Big Ben used for?īig Ben was designed for both looks and function. The construction of Big Ben was completed in 1859. No one can say for sure how it got its nickname, but the words Big Ben are now known worldwide and associated with this specific, iconic clocktower in London. The two most likely Bens for which the bell earned its nickname are Sir Benjamin Hall (an engineer who oversaw the installation of the clocktower) or Benjamin Caunt (a famous boxer at the time). That explains the “Big” but the “Ben” part is open to interpretation. The bell weighs over 13 tons and was the largest bell in the UK when it was built. The nickname Big Ben originally referred to just the largest bell, the Great Bell, which is housed inside clocktower. It was a fitting honor given that the largest tower is already called Victoria Tower after Queen Victoria. Stephen’s tower.” It was renamed Elizabeth Tower in 2012 for the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II. The official name of Big Ben is actually Elizabeth Tower. The clocktower itself was previously named “Clock Tower” or “St.
Big ben london night tv#
This new technology quickly became the gold standard for future clocktowers around the world.īig Ben is one of the most iconic film locations in UK and is often seen in establishing scenes of films and tv shows set in London.
In fact, an entirely new mechanism was invented and built for the clock inside Big Ben. The clock itself is renowned for being one of the most accurate clocks in the world, especially notable at the time it was built. It is currently the third tallest clocktower in the UK. The largest bell (known as Big Ben) chimes every hour, while the smaller bells chime every 15 minutes. The chiming clocktower has four clock faces and houses five bells. The clocktower is one of the three main towers at the Palace of Westminster. In this post, I too will use the term Big Ben to refer to the whole clocktower.īig Ben is the nickname given to an iconic gothic clocktower in Central London.
By extension, many people use the nickname Big Ben for the entire tower. Then we’ll share some practical information for visiting Big Ben during your trip to London.īefore I go too far in this post, I want to clarify that Big Ben technically refers to only the large bell inside the clocktower. In this brief but thorough guide, we’ll explain everything you never knew you didn’t know about Big Ben.
Picture London and you’ll probably picture the famous clocktower known as Big Ben.
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