Big Ben, one of London’s most famous icons, stands on the tower of the Palace of Westminster, which includes the Houses of Parliament, the House of Lords, the House of Commons, and Westminster Hall.
Big Ben in London is actually the nickname for the 13-ton bell located at the top of the tower, although it is often extended to include the clock and the clock tower. The tower was built in 1288 and the bell rang for the first time on May 31, 1859. It is the largest four-sided bell clock in the world, as well as the third tallest free-standing clock tower.
Interestingly, the clock tower is not open to foreign visitors, however UK residents can organize a tour, although it does involve climbing 334 steps to reach the top as there is no lift.
Augustus Pugin designed the watch and dials incorporating 312 pieces of opal glass and each side of the watch has a Latin inscription denoting ‘Oh Lord, keep our Queen Victoria the First safe’.
Renowned for its reliability, the iconic London watch ran accurately on time during heavy bombardment during the Blitz, even with two damaged watch faces. The watch faces were darkened overnight during WWI and WWII to prevent attacks. The only time Big Ben suffered a major breakdown was on August 5, 1976, when it was out of service for 26 days for nine months. In August 2007, this London watch had six long weeks of maintenance to replace the bearings in its drive train and the ‘big bell’ striker.
Big Ben is a popular icon in London and the UK. The image and the bells are used by ITN’s News at Ten, ITV News bulletins, BBC Radio 4 and BBC World Service. London’s historic clock, of course, also plays a huge role during the New Year’s Eve countdown and celebrations when all eyes turn to the clock.
In May 2009, London’s Big Ben celebrated its 150th anniversary and we look forward to another 150 years of accurate time and chimes.
