London Big Ben: where it is, photos, how to visit. Interesting facts about London Big Ben! Interesting information about Big Ben

The abundance of interesting sights is almost the main reason that forces thousands of tourists from different parts of the world to flock to London every year. Big Ben is a historical building of which it is rightly proud. What is known about the huge clock that indicates the time with amazing accuracy, what is its history?

Big Ben in London: name

Why did the symbol of the capital of England receive such an unusual name? Initially, this name was given to a huge bell located in the tower of the Palace of Westminster. The diameter of the base of the product is three meters, the weight goes beyond 13 tons. Gradually, both the Clock Tower, in which the bell is located, and the clock, which is of impressive size, began to be called the same. Several decades later, the whole world knew that Big Ben was the clock tower in London.

Who came up with the uncharacteristic name that was originally awarded to the bell? There are two legends explaining the origin of the name. The most popular of them says that the watch owes its original name to the architect Benjamin Hall, who was responsible for the construction work. It is believed that this man was so called because of his impressive build.

The second theory is slightly less popular. If you rely on it, it got its name in honor of the famous English heavyweight boxer Benjamin Count.

Construction

When was the landmark that London is deservedly proud of created? Big Ben has a long history. It began back in 1288, when the Clock Tower was built, which became part of the Palace of Westminster. Unfortunately, a fire that occurred in 1834 led to the destruction of this architectural element. Of course, a few years later the decision was made to reconstruct it.

Who developed the design of the famous tower, which even today every person visiting London strives to see? Big Ben is the brainchild of the architect Augustus Pugin, famous for his designs in the Gothic Revival style. Unfortunately, this man died before his project was realized. Construction of the tower was completed in 1858, and the ceremonial launch of the clock mechanism took place in 1859.

At first, electricity was used to illuminate the building; it was only used in 1912.

Technical specifications

The brick tower, which is crowned by a spire cast from cast iron, is installed on a concrete foundation, the height of which is 15 meters. Colored limestone was used to clad the architectural element. Even without the spire, the height of the tower is more than 60 meters, with it - 96.3 meters. How do you understand how majestic a landmark London is proud of? Big Ben has a height comparable to the parameters of a 16-story building.

Unfortunately, the tower is not intended for mass visits; guests of the capital of Great Britain can only see it from afar, as well as the inhabitants of the metropolis. It is not surprising that the project did not include lifts or elevators. Those who want to climb to the top must climb a total of 334 steps.

What is a watch

It is impossible not to dwell separately on such an element as the Big Ben clock. there are no analogues that could compete with them in terms of size. Just a few decades ago there were no such things in the whole world. Pugin also took over the development of watch dials. In their production, 312 pieces of glass opal were used, seven-meter steel frames and gilded discs were created.

The hands are also of outstanding size. The minute clocks are 4.2 meters long and are made of copper. Cast iron was used to make the hour hands; their length is 2.7 meters. The clock dials are installed at a height of 55 meters. The total weight tends to 5 tons. The pendulum, weighing about 300 kg, is located inside the tower, located under the clock room.

About accuracy

As you know, Big Ben is located in London. The inhabitants of this city value punctuality above all else. It is not surprising that the watch, which has established itself as a standard of reliability, has long become a symbol of the capital of Great Britain. Assembling the clock movement was a task that was entrusted to watchmaker Edward Dent. The master completed this task by 1854. A unique double three-stage movement has been developed, guaranteeing high precision of the watch.

It is known that the error of the clock mechanism does not exceed 2 seconds per day. Amazingly, the accuracy of the mechanism is adjusted using a one-penny coin, which is either placed on the pendulum or removed.

There is an opinion that the majestic clock never stopped counting time. This statement is refuted by the story of Big Ben. In London, they first encountered their damage in 1976; the auto-regulator of the movement of the mechanism broke down. Repairing the watch took approximately 9 months, during which time it did not work. The relaunch was celebrated in May 1977. There were malfunctions in their operation later, but the problems were fixed much faster than what happened during the first breakdown. Interestingly, Big Ben was damaged during the Second World War as a result of bombing, but damage to the roof of the tower did not cause the reliable clock mechanism to fail.

What is a bell

It is not only its size that gives the Clock Tower a popularity that other London attractions cannot compete with. Big Ben is equipped with a huge bell that chimes. This product is located inside the tower. It is known that the casting of the bell was entrusted to the master Edmund Beckett Denison. This man decided to create something more grandiose than even the “Great Peter”, located in York and weighing ten tons. He created a bell whose total weight was 16 tons.

To transport the product, a cart was used, which was harnessed by 16 horses. The bell lasted no more than two months, then cracked. As a result, a new version was created, the weight of which did not exceed 13 tons. It is curious that the weight of the hammer responsible for the blows was halved.

Unfortunately, the second bell was also cracked, but it was repaired. It was decided to create a square cut that prevents cracks from spreading. A small reversal of Big Ben was also performed, as a result of which the hammer no longer affected the damage.

For the first time, the resonating ringing was heard by the inhabitants of the capital at the end of May 1859. Big Ben in London has existed for over 150 years. The first contact of the hammer with the bell is made in the first second of the beginning of a new hour. The clock cannot be late because its progress is controlled by an English penny by a person acting as a keeper. It is curious that they wanted to fire the caretaker when one day the famous clock was delayed by one second. Of course, the serviceability of the mechanism is regularly checked.

Interestingly, Big Ben, located in London, was chosen to herald the beginning of the 21st century on the night of December 31, 2000. This clock represents the international time standard. A few decades ago, they had the world's largest dial, but this record was broken by the clock installed on the building of the Allen Bradley company, which is located in the US state of Wisconsin.

Symbol of London

Nowadays it is difficult to meet a person who does not know in which city Big Ben is located - London. The famous clock rings with which the people of Great Britain ring in the New Year. It is used when it is necessary to declare a minute of silence associated with sad events that have occurred in the world. Almost all fiction and documentary films dedicated to England contain an image of the magnificent Big Ben in their screensaver. Local news programs also begin with a photograph of the famous tower.

At the beginning of September this year, about a month ago, an event occurred that, to be honest, really upset me. Big Ben, the main symbol of Great Britain, was renamed in honor of the anniversary of the reign. It ticked for 150 years, and everyone was happy with it. And then one day - and there is no more Big Ben. Let’s then rename the rest: “Elizabeth’s Palace”, “Elizabeth Park”, “Eye of Elizabeth”...

Big Ben (now the Elizabeth Tower)

If you ask people what landmark they associate with, most will certainly name the famous Big Ben. It was erected back in 1859 and it still accurately measures time. The height is 320 feet (almost 100 meters), you can reach the top by walking 324 steps. Many people mistakenly believe that the tall clock tower is called Big Ben, and they are mistaken. In fact, Big Ben is the name of the bell located inside, behind the clock dial.

The tower was built by Benjamin Valyami, and the project assumed that this clock would be the largest and most accurate in the world. However, as in any matter, the construction of the clock was not without controversy - the country's authorities argued that it was necessary to install a huge bell, while Valyami was in favor of a small bell. As a result, the authorities won and the bell, weighing 16 tons, was secured to the tower. But it did not last long - it cracked after the first blow. Therefore, in the end, the last word remained with the common people. The current bell weighs 13.5 tons and still does not have a single crack on it.

Despite such a long existence of the watch, it is still a mystery where this name came from. Some believe that it came from the name of the work supervisor, Sir Benjamin Hall. The hall was quite large, which is why it was often called “Big Ben”. And only then this nickname “moved over” to the tower. There is another version - during discussions about what to name the watch, a certain Benjamin gave an excellent speech, in whose honor the watch was nicknamed Ben. A Big Ben– because the speech was quite long – big.

The course of history has not left the clock untouched; during the war it was hit by a bomb. Since then they have been slightly inaccurate. However, cunning modern watchmakers have come up with a great way to speed up the clock or, conversely, slow it down slightly - if necessary, they put an old English penny on its pendulum and then put it back. Almost every day, watch mechanisms are carefully checked and lubricated. Air pressure and temperature must be taken into account; depending on them, a special lubricant and its quantity are selected.

Once upon a time, there was a prison in Big Ben, where particularly violent parliamentarians were placed. And the last prisoner was a girl who fought for women's rights. A monument was later erected in her honor near the tower.

The tower has four dials. At the base of each is carved the Latin inscription “God Save Our Queen Victoria the First.” And on the sides of the tower is engraved another phrase - “Praise the Lord.”

Since 2012, Big Ben has been officially called the “Elizabeth Tower” in honor of the sixtieth anniversary of the reign of Elizabeth II. However, not only foreign tourists, but also many local residents still call the bell tower exactly Big Ben.

Big Ben in London is a clock tower located in the north-east corner of the Houses of Parliament in Westminster, London. Although the tower's actual name is the Clock Tower, it is often referred to as Big Ben, Big Tom or Big Ben Tower. The Clock Tower is one of the most recognizable landmarks in London and is a landmark, much like the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Since its creation in 1859, it has served as London's most trusted watch and as part of celebrations throughout the year. Find out some interesting and fun facts about Big Ben!

Interesting and funny facts about Big Ben:

Big Ben is the largest omnidirectional clock in the world.
The real name of the tower that holds the clock is "Clock Tower". Big Ben is the nickname of the main bell, officially known as the Great Bell, located in the tower. However, the nickname is more popular than the official name.
A survey of 2,000 people was carried out in 2008 which concluded that the tower was Britain's most popular attraction.
The Clock Tower is also referred to as Big Ben Tower and, misnamed, St. Stephen's Tower. However, the latter actually has a tower spire in the middle of the palace, which serves as the main entry point for debaters and committees. He is also called Big Tom.
Big Ben was built to replace the Old Palace of Westminster after it was destroyed by fire in October 1834.
The clock began functioning on September 7, 1859.
Big Ben was designed by Charles Barry.
The clock and its sets were designed by Augusto Pugin.
The first 61 meters of the Clock Tower are made of brickwork and stone cladding, while the rest of the tower is made of cast iron.
The tower leans slightly to the northwest, 8.66 inches.
The Big Ben bell weighs 14.5 tons. This is a huge bell that inspired Benjamin Hall to give it the name Big Ben.
The bell of the Clock Tower did not stop working even during the Second World War
The tower is located on a 15-square-meter platform made of 3-meter concrete columns, 4 meters below ground level.
The four faces of the clock rise 55 meters above the ground. The internal volume of the tower is 4650 cubic meters
At the base of each dial there is a Latin inscription made of gilded letters. It says - Domine SALVAM FAC REGINAM NOSTRAM VICTORIAM PRIMAM, which means "Lord, see to the safety of our Queen Victoria first."
The Clock Tower is the focus of New Year's celebrations in the United Kingdom, with radio and television stations ringing its chimes to welcome the start of the year.
On Remembrance Day, the chimes of Big Ben are broadcast to mark the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.

There are a large number of attractions and recognizable symbols in London, 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. Chief architect 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 the public due to security reasons; only certain important people or the press sometimes gain access there. There is no lift or special elevator here, so the “lucky ones” who gain 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 from above, 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.
On August 11, 2007, maintenance of the bells began, which lasted 6 weeks (during this time the running gear and tongue of the large bell were replaced): the clock at this time ran not 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.

Each popular tourist city has its own recognizable symbol. For example, the hallmark of Rio de Janeiro is considered. There are many more such recognizable sights in London, but Big Ben, which is known throughout the world, occupies a special place among them.

What is Big Ben

Despite the worldwide popularity of the iconic England landmark, many people still mistakenly believe that this is the name of the neo-Gothic four-sided clock tower that adjoins the Palace of Westminster. In fact, this name is given to the thirteen-ton peg, which is located inside the tower behind the dial.

The official name of London's main attraction is “Elizabeth Tower”. The building received this name only in 2012, when the British Parliament adopted a corresponding decision. This was done in honor of the sixtieth anniversary of the Queen's reign. However, in the minds of tourists, the tower, clock and bell are fixed under the capacious and memorable name Big Ben.

History of creation

The Palace of Westminster was built back in the 11th century during the reign of Canute the Great. At the end of the 13th century, a clock tower was erected and became part of the palace. It stood for 6 centuries and was destroyed on October 16, 1834 as a result of a fire. Ten years later, Parliament allocated money for the construction of a new tower based on the neo-Gothic design of Augustus Pugin. In 1858 the tower was ready. The work of the talented architect was highly appreciated by customers and local residents.

The bell for the tower was built on the second attempt. The first version, which weighed 16 tons, cracked during technical tests. The broken dome was melted down and made into a smaller bell. For the first time, London residents heard the ringing of the new bell on the last spring day of 1859.

However, a few months later it burst again. This time, the London authorities did not melt down the dome, but instead made a light hammer for it. The thirteen-ton structure made of an alloy of copper and tin was turned towards the hammer with the undamaged side. Since then the sound has remained the same.

There are many interesting facts and stories associated with the main London attraction:

The business name of the clock tower is practically unknown outside the country. All over the world it is simply called Big Ben.
The total height of the structure including the spire is 96.3 m. This is higher than the Statue of Liberty in New York.
Big Ben has become a symbol not only of London, but of the whole of Great Britain. In terms of popularity among tourists, only Stonehenge can compete with it.
Pictures of a clock tower are often used in films, TV series and TV shows when it is necessary to indicate that something is happening in the UK.
The structure has a slight slope towards the northwest. This is not visible to the naked eye.
The five-ton clock mechanism inside the tower is a standard of reliability. A three-stage stroke was developed especially for it, which had not been used anywhere before.
The clock mechanism was first started on September 7, 1859.
For 22 years since its casting, Big Ben was considered the largest and heaviest bell in the United Kingdom. However, in 1881 he handed over the palm to the seventeen-ton "Big Floor", which was placed in St. Paul's Cathedral.
Even during wartime, when London was heavily bombed, the bell continued to work. However, at this time the dial illumination was turned off to protect the structure from bomber pilots.
Statistics buffs have calculated that the minute hands of Big Ben travel a distance of 190 km per year.
On New Year's Eve, the clock tower of the Palace of Westminster performs the same function as the Moscow Kremlin Chimes. Residents and guests of London gather next to it and wait for the chiming clock, which symbolizes the coming of the new year.
The sound of the chimes can be heard within a radius of 8 kilometers.
Every year on November 11 at 11 o'clock in the afternoon the chimes ring in memory of the end of the First World War.
In honor of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, the tower's chimes operated outside of scheduled hours for the first time since 1952. On the morning of July 27, Big Ben rang 40 times within three minutes, notifying residents and guests of the city about the start of the Olympics.
During the First World War, the night lighting of the tower was turned off for two years and the bell was muffled. The authorities made the decision in order to prevent attacks by German Zeppelins.
The Second World War did not go unnoticed for the tower. German bombers destroyed its roof and damaged several dials. However, this did not stop the clockwork. Since then, the clock tower has been associated with English reliability and accuracy.
Because of birds landing on the hand, the clocks began to fall behind by four minutes in 1949.
The dimensions of the watch are amazing: the diameter of the dial is 7 m, and the length of the hands is 2.7 and 4.2 m. Thanks to these dimensions, the London landmark has become the largest striking clock, which has 4 dials at once.
The introduction of the clock mechanism into operation was accompanied by problems that were associated with a lack of funding, inaccurate calculations and delays in the supply of materials.
Photos of the tower are actively placed on T-shirts, mugs, keychains and other souvenirs.
Any resident of London can tell you the address of Big Ben, as it is located in the historical district of Westminster, which is the center of cultural and political life of the British capital.
When meetings of the highest legislative body are held in the palace, the clock dials are illuminated with characteristic lighting.
Drawings of the tower are most often used in children's books about England.
On August 5, 1976, the first major failure of the watch mechanism occurred. From that day on, Big Ben fell silent for 9 months.
In 2007, the clock was stopped for 10 weeks for maintenance.
The chime of the bell is used in the opening sequences of some British radio and television programmes.
Ordinary tourists cannot climb the tower. But sometimes exceptions are made for the press and important guests. To climb up, a person needs to overcome 334 steps, which not everyone can do.
The accuracy of the clock mechanism is adjusted by placing a coin on the pendulum and slowing it down.
In addition to Big Ben itself, the tower contains four small bells that ring every 15 minutes.
According to British media reports, in 2017, 29 million pounds were allocated from the budget for the reconstruction of the main London chimes. This money is allocated to repair the clock, install an elevator in the tower and improve the interior.
For some time the tower was used as a prison for members of parliament.
Big Ben has his own Twitter account, in which posts like this are published hourly: “BONG”, “BONG BONG”. The number of words "BONG" depends on the time of day. Almost half a million people watch the “strike” of the famous London bell on Twitter.
In 2013, Big Ben fell silent during Margaret Thatcher's funeral.

Name controversy

There are many rumors and stories surrounding the name of London's main attraction. One legend says that during a special meeting at which a name for the bell was chosen, the Honorable Lord Benjamin Hall jokingly suggested that the structure be named after him. Everyone laughed, but heeded the advice of Big Ben, who oversaw the construction.

Another legend says that the iconic landmark was named after heavyweight boxer Ben Kaant, whom boxing fans called Big Ben. That is, history gives different descriptions of how the bell got its name. Therefore, everyone decides for themselves which version is closer to them.