Top Attractions in London -Big Ben in London

Big Ben is the adopted name for the Clock Tower of the Palace of Westminster in London, which is officially known as Saint Stephen's Tower. This imposing tower is one of London's most visible and famous landmarks.

The clock inside the tower was the world's largest when it was installed in the middle of the 19th century. The name Big Ben actually refers to the clock's hour bell, the largest of the clock's five bells. The other four are used as quarter bells.

There were two bells cast as the clock tower's hour bell. A first, 16 ton weighing bell was cast by John Warner and Sons in 1856. Since the Clock Tower was not yet completed, the bell was hung temporarily in the Palace Yard. The bell soon cracked and so it was recast in 1858, in the Whitechapel Bell Foundry, as a 13.5 ton bell. Unfortunately, soon after this bell was placed in the belfry in July 1859, it cracked as well. This time, instead of yet again recasting the bell, the crack was repaired and a lighter hammer was used to prevent any more cracks.

Clock face

View from Parliament Square

The hour bell was probably named after Benjamin Hall, the First Commissioner of Works. Some sources however claim that the bell was named after Benjamin Caunt, a British heavyweight boxing champion.

The Clock

The clock was the largest in the world and is still the largest in Great-Britain. The clock’s faces have a diameter of almost 25ft (7.5m). The hour hand is 9ft or 2.7m long and the minute hand measures 14ft (4.25m) long. The clock is known for its reliability; for it has rarely failed during its long lifespan. Even after the nearby House of Commons was destroyed by bombing during World War II, the clock kept on chiming. The clock's mechanism, designed by Edmund Beckett Denison, has a remarkable accuracy. The clock's rate is adjusted by simply adding small pennies on the shoulder of the pendulum.

The Tower

The tower was constructed between 1843 and 1858, as the Clock Tower of the Palace of Westminster. The palace is now better known as the Houses of Parliament. The Clock Tower rises 316ft high (96m), and consists of a 200ft (61m) high brick shaft, topped by a cast iron framed spire. The clock’s faces are 180ft / 55m above ground level.

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