Tower of London
Search results
Big Ben is probably the world's most famous clock. That iconic silhouette is instantly recognisable and is one of the most Instagrammed landmarks on the planet. Six monarchs and 41 prime ministers have come and gone since the bells first struck their now familiar music across Westminster. Here we tell Big Ben's historic story in words and images.
Below is a very brief history of Big Ben and the Elizabeth Tower - and the clock towers that came before it. 1290s: The first clock tower is said to have been built on the site but there are no records of it. 1367: The early clock tower (if there was one) is replaced with a new tower and clock. This was the first public chiming clock in England ...
Big Ben, London. Big Ben, Clock housed in the tower at the eastern end of Britain’s Houses of Parliament. Designed by Sir Edmund Beckett (1816–1905), Big Ben is famous for its accuracy and its 13-ton bell. The name (for Sir Benjamin Hall, commissioner of works at the time of its installation in 1859) originally applied only to the bell but ...
Jul 11, 2019 · Thursday marks the 160th anniversary of when Big Ben began striking the hour, on 11 July 1859. The Great Bell forms part of the Great Clock in the Elizabeth Tower - commonly known as Big Ben. The ...
Oct 17, 2023 · 1852: The great clock at the heart of the tower is constructed by John Dent, to a design by Edmund Beckett Denison. 1856 (Oct): The name "Big Ben" appears in print for the first time. The London ...
Big Ben is the nickname for the Great Bell of the Great Clock of Westminster, and by extension for the clock tower itself, which stands at the north end of the Palace of Westminster in London, England. Originally known simply as the Clock Tower, it was renamed Elizabeth Tower in 2012 to mark the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II. The clock is a striking clock with five bells.
The giant bell was removed and melted down to create the replacement bell which hangs in the clock tower’s belfry today. The new bell was cast by George Mears at the Whitechapel Bell Foundry on 10 April 1858. At 13.5 tonne, it was 2.5 tonne lighter than the first. In order to get the new bell up to the belfry it had to be turned on its side.
