Big Ben
Big Ben is one of the most popular sights of the British capital and is one of the calling cards of London. It is the name by which one of the three towers of the Palace of Westminster, the seat of the United Kingdom’s Parliament, is known around the world, located on the banks of the Thames.
Video: Big Ben
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- From the history of Big Ben
- Dials and clockwork
Bells of the clock tower - Origin of the name
- Interesting facts
- Big Ben: Today’s Day
- How to get there
Highlights
From the history of Big Ben
Big Ben is, moreover, and thinner than Victoria Tower. However, despite its comparatively smaller size, it is the one that almost immediately won the affections of Londoners and visitors alike. The architect laid a certain charisma in the object built in the nemotic style, invariably attracting attention to it for so many years. The master also incorporated features of one of his earlier works, the tower of Scarisbrick Hall. Only he never got to see his own creation in his lifetime: Big Ben was Pugin’s last design work. Soon the architect became seriously ill and died.
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The clue to the popularity of Big Ben is not only in the features of the tower as such. It is famous, above all, for its legendary clock, which is located at a height of 55 meters from the surface of the earth. The diameter of the steel-framed dials is huge: 7 meters. The length of the hands – hour 2.7 meters, minute 4.2 meters – is also impressive. For a long time, it was the largest chronometer in the world. When the Allen-Bradley Clock Tower was put into operation in 1962 in Milwaukee (Wisconsin, USA), the London celebrity had to cede the palm of superiority.
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Dials and clockwork
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The tower itself was still under construction at the time, and Master Denison, an extremely creative person, decided to experiment. He decided to take a risk and abandon the aperiodic movement of the key used to wind the clock. This was despite the fact that it had been included in the design. Instead, he developed a double three-stage stroke, which ensured optimum separation between the clock mechanism and the pendulum. The latter was installed inside a windproof and waterproof box below the clock room. It is 3.9 meters long and weighs 300 kilograms – two tons less than the movement. The pendulum strokes every two seconds.
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Clock Tower Bells
First, they made a square-shaped cut that would prevent the crack from spreading further. Then the bell itself was turned around to keep the hammer from hitting the damage. The defect creates that unique resonating sound, thanks to which the ringing of Big Ben cannot be confused with any other. Since then, residents and visitors to the city on the Thames hear it every 60 minutes, and the first strike of the hammer coincides with the first second of the new hour.
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The main bell is surrounded by smaller bells. Every fifteen minutes they play the tune “Westminster Quarters”, also known as “Cambridge Chimes” – after the name of the church of St. Mary the Great (Cambridge). They beat out the rhythm of the saying, “In this hour the Lord keep me, and his power will let no man falter.” On December 31, 1923, the chimes of the Clock Tower of the Palace of Westminster were first heard on BBC radio, now the largest television and radio broadcaster in the world in terms of audience reach. Since then, the sound of Big Ben has been heard twice during the day on BBC Radio: at 6pm and at midnight. Interestingly, it is broadcast not from a pre-recorded recording, but live. This was made possible thanks to a microphone installed inside the tower..
Interesting facts
The British parliamentarians who made the decision to build the tower in 1844 insisted that the clock on the tower must be the most accurate in the world. Only on this condition did they agree to provide the necessary funding. From which we can conclude that if the planners could not convince them that this would be the case, the construction of Big Ben might not have begun.
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Big Ben: Today’s Day
To see the interior of the Elizabeth Tower is a dream for many foreign tourists, but tours for them are not conducted here – so decided the authorities. Permanent access to Big Ben is allowed to a select circle of dignitaries. They climb up a narrow 334-step spiral staircase. Since there is no elevator in the tower, such a climb becomes akin to a feat.
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How to get there
In close proximity to Big Ben is Westminster Underground station, which is served by trains on three different lines: the Circle line (yellow), District line (green), and Jubilee line (gray). In addition, the area around Big Ben and the Palace of Westminster is served by a large number of bus routes, including night buses (with an “N” in front of the route number).
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