Big description. London, Big Ben: description, history, interesting facts. Big Ben: name and its legends

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.

Big Ben is under restoration! Completion of restoration work is scheduled for 2021.

Big Ben is a 96 meter tall clock tower located in the north-eastern part of the British Parliament in Westminster. The attraction is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Although the actual name of the tower is the Clock Tower, it is often called Big Ben, Big Tom or Big Ben Tower. The Clock Tower is one of the most recognizable structures in London and is its signature, just like the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Since its creation in 1859, the tower has served as the most reliable clockwork in London, and has also been used to celebrate any national event. The whole city converges on the tower to celebrate the New Year, and all radio and television stations check the time with Big Ben. The clock strike is also broadcast every year on the Day of Remembrance of the Victims of the First and Second World Wars at exactly eleven o'clock on the eleventh day of the eleventh month as a sign of the coming peace. The bell can be heard at a distance of up to 12 kilometers.

Big Ben is often mistakenly called the tower itself. In fact, the bell bears this nickname, and the tower itself is officially called the “Elizabeth Tower”. It was renamed in honor of the Diamond Jubilee of Her Majesty Elizabeth II. 2012 The clock tower is also mistakenly called St. Stephen's Tower. However, the latter is actually a small tower in the courtyard of the Palace complex, which serves as the main entry point for debaters in the House of Lords and House of Commons. Currently, Big Ben does not look very aesthetically pleasing, because due to reconstruction it is covered with scaffolding. The Palace of Westminster is only half closed from the view of tourists; a small reconstruction affected it too. It is worth noting that this does not stop tourists at all.

Facts and figures

Height: 96 meters;

Area: 12 square meters;

Number of steps: 334;

Amount of stone used: 850 cubic meters;

Number of bricks used: 2600 cubic meters;

Number of floors: 11;

The tower tilts northwest 8.66 inches.

Elizabeth Tower

The British have always been famous for their ability to do everything in an original way, unlike other countries, this is confirmed by left-hand traffic, monarchical traditions preserved through the centuries and much more. This feature did not bypass Big Ben. The Elizabeth Tower was erected in a special way - from the inside out, that is, the scaffolding was installed inside the structure, and not outside, as is customary to do all over the world. Materials were transported by river and delivered to masons using winches. Materials for the construction of the Elizabeth Tower came from all over the United Kingdom: cast iron channels came from the Regent's Canal ironworks, for the construction of the external parts of the walls, stone was imported from Yorkshire, granite from Cornwall, metal sheets for the roof from a foundry in Birmingham.

The foundation was laid on September 28, 1843. The foundation pit was dug to a depth of 3 meters. The whole of the United Kingdom had a hand in creating the famous landmark, but it was never celebrated. The official opening ceremony of Big Ben did not take place, possibly because its commissioning was delayed by 5 years, in 1859. The tower was designed by Charles Berry, the chief architect at the royal court.

Watch

To find a first-class watchmaker, a competition was organized, the main requirement of which was to develop a clock mechanism accurate to one second from the beginning of each hour and telegraph the exact time to the Greenwich Observatory twice a day. The architect Berry was an excellent specialist in his field, but he was not a watchmaker. Such exaggerated requirements for those times led to a seven-year delay in delivery. The honor of developing the main clock of London fell not to the watchmaker, but to the lawyer Edmund Beckett Denison. The next delay arose because the space inside the tower was too small for the planned clock design. It was planned that the reconstruction of the tower would cost 100 pounds sterling, but in fact the amount turned out to be much more - 2,500 pounds, unthinkable money at that time. It's interesting to note that if Big Ben were built today, it would cost around US$200,000. Denison made a huge contribution to the concept of clock precision: he developed a special mechanism that allows the pendulum to withstand the influence of external factors, such as wind force. Since then, Denison's invention has been used in watches all over the world.

The clock was installed in the tower in April 1859. They didn't work at first because the cast iron minute hands were too heavy. Once these were replaced with lighter copper hands, the mechanism successfully began telling the time on May 31, 1859, shortly before the installation of the Big Ben bell. Each dial is made of cast iron, has a diameter of 7 meters and contains 312 individual pieces of opal glass with an opaque finish. Below each dial there is an inscription carved in stone in Latin: "Domine Salvam fac Reginam nostrum Victoriam primam", which means "God save our Queen Victoria I". Once every 5 years, the Big Ben dials are washed by professional window cleaners, who go down on ropes and extremely carefully wash the stained glass windows of the dials with a special cleaning solution, trying not to press on them with their hands and not damage the historical relic. Every year the clock is adjusted using a coin. If the clock runs fast, a penny is added to the pendulum. If the clock is running slowly, a penny is removed from the pendulum. The clock gains two and a half seconds from every penny added. The clock was four and a half minutes slow in August 1949 when a flock of starlings sat on the minute hand.

Facts about watches

• Number of dials: 4;
• Diameter of clock disks: 7 meters;
• Number size: 60 centimeters;
• Dial material: cast iron;
• Stained glass: 312 opal glass elements;
• Lighting for each dial: 28 energy-efficient lamps with a power of 85 W each;
• Lifespan of each energy efficient lamp: 60,000 hours.

Minute hands:

• Material: copper;
• Weight: 100 kilograms, including counterweights;
• Length: 4.2 meters;
• Distance traveled by minute hands per year: equivalent to 190 kilometers.

Hour hands:

Great Bell

Officially, the bell of Elizabeth Tower is called the Great Bell, although it is known throughout the world as Big Ben. There are two theories about the origin of this name: it is named after Sir Benjamin Hall, the first member of the Parliamentary Committee (1855-1858), or it is named after Ben Count, the heavyweight boxing champion of the 1850s, also known as "Big Ben" . This nickname was usually given by society to anything that was the heaviest in its class. The first theory is believed to be the most likely. In August 1856 the bell was transported by rail and sea to London. Upon arrival at the port of London, he was transferred to a passenger carriage and pulled across Westminster Bridge on 16 white horses. The bell was first installed in the New Palace Yard and tested every day until October 17, 1857, when it developed a 1.2 meter crack.

The second bell was released on April 10, 1858. It was 2.5 tons lighter than the first. It was installed on July 11, 1859, but its success was short-lived. In September 1859, the new bell also cracked, and Big Ben remained silent for four years. In 1863, the solution was found by Sir George Airy, Astronomer Royal. Big Ben was turned a quarter turn so that the hour hammer would strike in a different place and was replaced with a lighter one. Since then, Big Ben has almost always functioned properly. Interestingly, the four small bells that ring every 15 minutes are nameless.

Facts about the Great Bell

Stopping the clock

The 2007 shutdown was the longest suspension since 1990. The clock mechanism was also stopped for two days in October 2005 to allow inspection of the brake shaft. Previous stops of clock mechanisms occurred in 1934 for 2 months and in 1956 for 6 months. Over the years, the clocks stopped completely randomly - by weather, workers, breakdowns or birds. The most serious failure occurred on the night of August 10, 1976, when part of the shimming mechanism fell off due to old age of the metal. This caused a lot of damage, but fortunately no one was hurt.

Reconstruction of Big Ben

A major conservation work program for the Elizabeth Tower, the Great Clock and the Great Bell, also known as Big Ben, began in early 2017. The total cost of the project is estimated at £61 million, not £29 million as announced in the spring of 2016. Big Ben, which is visited by around 12,000 people every year, is carefully looked after by the Heritage Parliament team. Completion of restoration work is scheduled for 2021.

Sightseeing tours of Big Ben

All tours of Big Ben are suspended due to restoration work. During the renovation, a series of free morning talks are being held on Thursdays. The hour-long presentation, presented by the custodians of Big Ben, covers the history and workings of the famous clock and iconic tower, followed by a short question and answer session. UK residents and overseas visitors can book tickets for a range of other Parliamentary tours, running on Saturdays throughout the year and on weekdays during the Parliamentary Recess. Tickets can be purchased online, by phone or on the day of your visit at the ticket office at the entrance.

Hotels

There are a lot of hotels and small hostels near the Elizabeth Tower in a price range to suit every budget. The tower is located in the very heart of the city, side by side with other world-class attractions; in the Westminster area it will not be difficult to find accommodation.

Big Ben Clock

In the narrow sense, Big Ben refers to the 13-ton bell located inside it, and the structure itself was officially renamed the Elizabeth Tower in 2012 in honor of the 60th anniversary of the current British monarch on the throne.

Tourists coming to London consider it their duty to visit this attraction or at least look at Big Ben from afar. But “visit” does not mean visiting the tower. Currently, its internal premises are closed to foreigners; sometimes only local officials and representatives of the media have access. Strict measures have been introduced by the authorities for security purposes, and we will discuss the reasons for such restrictions below.

But no bans, even for good reasons, affected the popularity of Big Ben. Travelers from different parts of the world are sure to find a free moment to come here and admire the architectural splendor of the tower. And, of course, check the time: after all, the Big Ben clock is rightfully considered the most accurate in the world!

From the history of Big Ben

Construction of the Clock Tower of the Palace of Westminster - this was the name it bore before the renaming - began in 1837. The author of the project was the famous English architect Augustus Pugin. At that time, Queen Victoria had just ascended the throne, ruling the British Empire for 63 years. At the same time, the parliament building, which was damaged in 1834 by a severe fire, was reconstructed. The new tower building, located in the northern part of the Palace of Westminster, has enriched its architectural complex and made its appearance even more recognizable.

In terms of its parameters, St. Stephen's Tower (this is the second name of the attraction) is inferior to its “elder sister” - the 98-meter Victoria Tower, which is located in the southwestern part of the palace. Its height including the spire is 96.3 meters. The first 61 meters of the tower are made of brick, and the outer cladding (siding) is made of Estonian limestone, which has been used in construction for 700 years. The remaining 35.3 meters is a cast iron spire. The base of the tower is a concrete foundation, its depth is 4 m.

Big Ben is also thinner than the Victoria Tower. However, despite its relatively smaller dimensions, it was he who almost immediately won the sympathy of both Londoners and guests of the city. The architect built into the building, built in the Gothic style, a certain charisma that has invariably attracted attention to it for so many years. The master also introduced features of one of his early works - the Scarisbrick Hall tower. Only he never got to see his own creation during his lifetime: Big Ben became Pugin’s last design work. Soon the architect became seriously ill and died.

The key to Big Ben's popularity lies not only in the features of the tower itself. It is famous, first of all, for its legendary clock, which is located at a height of 55 meters from the surface of the earth. The diameter of the dials enclosed in steel frames is huge: 7 meters. The length of the hands – hour 2.7 m, minute 4.2 meters – is also impressive. For a long time, this chronometer was the largest in the world. When the Allen-Bradley Clock Tower was put into operation in Milwaukee (Wisconsin, USA) in 1962, the London celebrity had to give up the palm.

Big Ben and Palace of Westminster

Dials and clockwork

There are four dials on Big Ben - according to the number of cardinal directions, and they, accordingly, “look” to the north, south, west and east. The massive hour hands are cast from an iron-carbon alloy (cast iron), while the minute hands are made from lighter and thinner copper sheet. The dial material is a mineraloid known as Birmingham opal. Only the opal glass in the Big Ben dials is not solid, it is “broken” into 312 separate pieces. This fragmentation or mosaic visually gives them the appearance of windows. But this is not the main thing: these parts are easily accessible, which allows, if necessary, to penetrate inside the dials and carry out inspections or some preventive measures.

The Big Ben clock, which shows Greenwich time, is the most accurate not only in Foggy Albion, but also in the world. How is their flawless operation ensured and maintained? To give an answer, let us turn, as they say, to the origins. The developers of the chronometer were people who had the most distant connection to this matter. Apart from watchmaker Edmund Beckett Denison (and even an amateur), the project had a hand... lawyer George Airey and the royal astronomer. The assembly of the clock mechanism was carried out by professional watchmaker Edward John Dent, who completed his work in 1854.

The construction of the tower itself was not yet completed at that time, and Master Denison, an exceptionally creative person, decided to experiment. He decided to take a risk and abandon the aperiodic movement of the key with which the watch mechanism was wound. And this despite the fact that its presence was provided for by the project. Instead, he developed a double three-stage movement, which ensured optimal separation of the clock mechanism and the pendulum. The latter was installed inside a wind- and moisture-proof box, which is located below the clock room. It is 3.9 meters long and weighs 300 kilograms - 2 tons less than the mechanism. The pendulum moves every two seconds.

So, let's return to the question of the accuracy of Big Ben's clock. They fall behind from time to time, and that's a well-known fact. But no problems arise because of this. And all thanks to... the English penny. When the chronometer begins to “deceive”, an old coin weighing one and a half grams is simply placed on the pendulum. It is difficult to immediately say which laws of physics are involved, but such an “intervention” is guaranteed to speed up the clock by 2.5 seconds per day. The caretaker, having achieved accuracy in this way, then removes the coin - until next time. The clock mechanism has never failed for 150 years, proving its reliability. Maintenance work is carried out periodically and some parts are replaced. Every two days the mechanism is thoroughly lubricated. But overall its design remains unchanged.

During two world wars, Big Ben's clock worked in a special mode. Thus, in 1916-1918, the bell did not chime the time, and the tower lights were not turned on at night. The lights have not been turned on since September 1, 1939, when Nazi Germany treacherously attacked Poland, unleashing the bloodiest world war in human history. True, the clock worked properly, and the bell even rang. In June 1941, during the bombing of London by Nazi aircraft, the main chimes in Great Britain were damaged. But, fortunately, they turned out to be frivolous, and the chronometer continued running. Then he was stopped for a day, but only to repair the St. Stephen's Tower itself.

Washing the watch

Clock tower bells

The largest bell in the Elizabeth Tower is the main bell - this is Big Ben, which gives the name to the entire structure. It was cast on August 6, 1856 by the craftsmen of the John Warner and Sons company in the town of Stockton-on-Tees (north-east England). The 16-ton colossus was brought to the tower on a cart harnessed to 16 horses. The event turned out to be so significant that the cart was accompanied by an enthusiastic crowd all the way. But the joy turned out to be premature: when the bell was tested, it cracked. I had to send it for repairs. On April 10, 1858, it was recast at the Whitechapel factory. The second bell turned out to be “thinner”, its weight was 13.76 tons.

It took almost a whole day to lift the giant up the tower. Not only was it heavy, it was also large: height 2.2 meters, width - 2.9 m. And then it happened: on May 31, 1859, Londoners heard the ringing of Big Ben for the first time. And although the weight of the hammer that delivered the blows was also reduced, the bell cracked again two months later. They didn’t start casting it again; they limited themselves to “cosmetic” repairs, which lasted 3 years. All this time the bell was silent.

First, they made a cut in the shape of a square, which would prevent further propagation of the crack. Then they turned the bell itself so as not to hit the damage with a hammer. The presence of a defect is precisely what creates that unique resonating sound, thanks to which the ringing of Big Ben cannot be confused with any other. Since then, residents and visitors of the city on the Thames have heard it every 60 minutes, and the first blow of the hammer coincides with the first second of the new hour.

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 St. Mary the Great (Cambridge). They beat out the rhythm of the following saying: “At this hour the Lord protects me, and his strength will not allow anyone to give up.” On December 31, 1923, the chimes of the Clock Tower of the Palace of Westminster were first heard on BBC radio, now the largest broadcaster in the world in terms of audience reach. Since then, the sound of Big Ben has been heard on BBC Radio twice during the day: at 18:00 and at midnight. Interestingly, it is not broadcast from a pre-prepared recording, but live. This became possible thanks to a microphone installed inside the tower.

origin of name

The Clock Tower of the Palace of Westminster, St. Stephen's Tower and, finally, Elizabeth's Tower are the official names of the attraction. But where did the name “Big Ben” come from, which also became the most famous? There are several versions about this. Let's look at this in a little more detail.

According to one of them, the bell was named after Lord Benjamin Hall, a gentleman with a large physique and a very loud voice. He allegedly spoke at a special meeting of parliament on the issue of this very name. But he spoke for a very long time, which bored his colleagues. One of the parliamentarians could not stand it and shouted from his seat: “Let's call the bell Big Ben and put an end to this hopeless cause.” And the phrase “Big Ben” is translated from English as “Big Ben”. The meeting participants appreciated the joke; laughter rang out in the hall, which could mean nothing but universal agreement.

Another version links the name of the bell to the name of the then famous heavyweight boxer Benjamin Count. At the level of rumors, it has reached our days that they even wanted to give the “vocalized” colossus the name of Queen Victoria, and that supposedly one of the members of the upper House of Lords made such a proposal. Only there was no official confirmation of this in the reports of parliamentary meetings. And even if we assume that such an initiative was nevertheless submitted, then for some reason it was not destined to come to fruition.

Big Ben at sunset

The British parliamentarians who decided to build the tower in 1844 insisted that the clock installed on it must certainly become the most accurate in the world. Only under this condition did they agree to provide the necessary funding. From which we can conclude that if the designers could not convince them that this would be the case, then the construction of Big Ben might not have begun.

Big Ben also played the role of... a prison. Parliamentarians who were too rowdy at meetings were imprisoned in the tower. Its last prisoner was Emmeline Pankhurst, a representative of the feminist movement, who fought for the equality of women. There is a monument to her near the Palace of Westminster.

One day, in 1949, Big Ben's clock suddenly fell behind by a full four minutes, which became a real emergency. Everyone began to blame the mechanism: they say that it was old and had not stood the test of time. But it turned out that a flock of starlings was playing pranks and decided to sit right on the minute hand.

The next time - it was the winter of 1962 - the watch was subject to icing. Experts came to the conclusion that mechanically breaking off pieces of ice could damage them, so they decided not to risk it. The caretakers were instructed to disconnect the pendulum from the clock mechanism to prevent major damage. With the onset of a thaw, it was launched again.

However, Big Ben's clock broke one day. They stopped on August 5, 1976 and remained frozen for a full nine months. The reason is the fatigue of the metal from which the torsion bar suspension of the pendulum, which transmitted its load, was made. This accident caused significant damage to the clock mechanism. After eliminating its consequences, the clock was started on May 9, 1977. What happened became a lesson for the future: from now on, maintenance of Big Ben was carried out regularly and more thoroughly. For this purpose, the clock can be stopped for an hour or two. Moreover, such pauses are not recorded as a stop. Minor breakdowns also happened, but rarely.

Another time the weather factor affected the operation of the clock on May 27, 2005. In London the sun was unbearably scorching, and for this reason the mechanism froze twice during the day. True, a direct connection between the heat and the stopping of Big Ben has not been established for certain, but there was simply no other explanation then. Also in 2005, the mechanism was stopped for 33 hours - scheduled technical work was carried out. Their duration became a kind of record. In August 2007, technical work was carried out for the first time without stopping the clock mechanism. They lasted for 6 whole weeks, during which time the craftsmen replaced the bearings and fastening systems of the main bell. And the shooters continued their run with the help of specially connected electric motors.

On January 30, 1965, Britain and the whole world said goodbye to the most famous prime minister in the country's history, Sir Winston Churchill. On this day, the bells of Big Ben did not chime the time. The next time the clock fell silent was on April 30, 1997, the day before the elections to the House of Commons of the British Parliament. And finally, the last stop of the tower clock took place on April 17, 2013, when Baroness Margaret Thatcher was buried. She was the first woman to serve as head of government of the United Kingdom. During her lifetime, she received the nickname “Iron Lady” for her determination in carrying out unpopular reforms.

Each dial bears a gilded Latin inscription: “Domine Salvam fac Reginam nostram Victoriam Primam.” The saying is translated as “God save our Queen Victoria the First.” There is another inscription - along the entire perimeter of the tower, to the right and left of the clock - and it is also in Latin: “Laus Deo” (“Glory to God” or, alternatively, “Praise the Lord”).

When the evening sessions of the British Parliament take place in the Palace of Westminster - by the way, one of the oldest in the world - the lights at the top of the tower are always turned on. Not everyone knows why. Is this a tradition or a symbol of something? More likely, the first one. Victoria came up with it as a way to see with her own eyes whether parliamentarians are really busy with work or just imitating it. The clocks have been illuminated by electric lamps since 1912. Before this, the light source was gas jets, which were tubes with an adjustable gas supply and also equipped with a mechanism to increase the air flow to the burner.

Despite the fact that the Big Ben clock lost its world leadership, as already mentioned, to the Allen-Bradley chronometer in the USA, it still remains the largest four-sided striking clock, because the Americans either forgot to add chiming to their chimes, or they didn't want to.

Fireworks from the tower

Big Ben: today

Many foreign tourists dream of visiting the interior of the Elizabeth Tower, but excursions are not held here for them - this is what the authorities decided. Permanent access to Big Ben is allowed to a select circle of high-ranking officials. 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.

Why does this ban exist? The reason cited is the risk of a terrorist threat: after all, the landmark is part of the architectural complex of the building of the current parliament, the highest representative and legislative body of the country. Meanwhile, tours of Big Ben are conducted from time to time for British citizens. Only the organizer must be none other than a member of the House of Lords or a member of the House of Commons.

The rest can only be content with the appearance of the famous building, taking pictures against its background. When traveling around London, you are likely to come across many smaller copies of Big Ben. The duplicates are a cross between a tower and a grandfather clock in British homes. “Clones” began to be installed at almost all city intersections.

Did you know that Big Ben is gradually tilting? Of course, it is far from the indicators of the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy, but the fact remains a fact. Since its construction, the condition of the soil has undergone changes, which caused the “fall” of Big Ben. The construction of the underground Jubilee line of the London Underground also played a catalytic role. But the builders reassured us: they foresaw this and therefore nothing terrible happened.

The Elizabeth Tower has today shifted by about 220 mm, which in relation to the height gives a slope of 1/250 in the direction of the northwest. This indicator is also influenced by the external environment: fluctuations in one direction or the other depend on weather conditions and amount to several millimeters.

But despite everything, Big Ben was and remains a significant symbol for Great Britain - like the Moscow Kremlin for Russia, the Eiffel Tower for Paris or the Statue of Liberty for the United States. On the night of December 31 to January 1, Londoners listen live to the chimes, heralding the onset of the New Year, in order to raise their festive glasses in time.

The image of the tower has long become an independent brand and is widely used in culture and art. Familiar outlines can be found in movies, television shows, comics, computer games, as well as on envelopes, postcards, and various souvenirs.

How to get there

In close proximity to Big Ben is Westminster tube station, which is served by three different lines: the Circle line (yellow), the District line (green) and the Jubilee line (gray). In addition, in the area of ​​Big Ben and the Palace of Westminster there are a huge number of bus routes, including night ones (the route number is preceded by the letter “N”).

Big Ben is a huge clock located in the north-eastern part of the Houses of Parliament in Westminster, London. This terminology is more familiar to tourists, but in fact, Big Ben is the name of the largest of the five bells in the same Palace of Westminster. This clock tower is one of the most recognizable buildings in London and is the “face” of the capital of England just like the Eiffel Tower for Paris. Since its creation in 1859, it has served as the most accurate and reliable timepiece in London. And, of course, Big Ben is part of the festive events throughout the year. We bring to your attention some interesting facts about Big Ben that you may not know.

Interesting facts about Big Ben

1. The real name of this attraction is “Clock Tower”. Big Ben is the nickname for the main bell located inside the structure. However, the official name did not stick.

2. Big Ben is one of the most popular attractions in Great Britain. On par with Stonehenge.

3. Big Ben was built to replace the old Palace of Westminster after it was destroyed by fire in October 1834.

4. Big Ben was designed by Charles Barry, and the clock and dial were created under the direction of the British architect Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin. The clock was put into operation in 1859, on September 7.

5. The first 61 meters of the clock tower consists of brickwork and stone cladding, while the rest of the tower is made of cast iron.

6. The tower leans slightly to the northwest, 8.66 inches.

7. The Big Ben bell weighs 14.5 tons. It is the enormous size of the bell that inspired Benjamin Hall to give it the name Big Ben.

8. The tower's bell did not stop working even during World War II.

9. Clock Tower is at the center of celebrations during New Year's Eve in the United Kingdom. There is a live broadcast on radio and TV, which is tuned to the chimes that begin to strike at 00:00 and welcome the beginning of the new year.

10. The sound of chimes can be heard within a radius of 5 miles.

11. Between creation and putting into operation, the watch went through too much time, which was accompanied by many problems: lack of funding, delivery delays, incorrect calculations of the weight of the hands and much more.

12. Every year, at 11 o’clock, on the 11th day, 11th month, the chimes are struck in honor of the armistice and the end of the First World War.

13. Big Ben's watch lost four and a half minutes in August 1949 when a flock of starlings settled on the minute hand.

14. If Big Ben were built today, it would cost $200,000 US dollars.

15. The hour hand is 3.2 meters (8 feet) long and the minute hand is 4.3 meters (14 feet) long.

16. The first breakdown with Big Ben occurred in 1976, this happened after 100 years of continuous operation. In 1977, the attraction was put into operation again.

17. In 2012, Big Ben was struck 30 times to mark the start of the London Olympics.

18. From 1939 to 1945 the clock dial was not lit. This was done as a preventative measure to help protect it from attack during World War II.

19. The best-selling souvenir among tourists in London is a miniature copy of Big Ben.

20. Visiting tourists cannot get into the bell tower, unless one of the parliamentarians gives you a personal tour.

London is rich in ancient attractions, but perhaps the most famous and attractive for tourists is the Big Ben clock tower. What is the history of this building?

Story

Construction of the building started in 1837 under the leadership of the talented architect Augustus Pugin. True, then it was simply called the Clock Tower. At that time, Queen Victoria had recently begun to reign, and subsequently occupied the throne for 63 years. The clock tower in the neo-Gothic style was conceived with the aim of diversifying the appearance of the architectural complex, making it more fresh and memorable.

For some time, the tower also managed to serve as a prison for imprisoned parliamentarians who caused outrages at meetings. For example, the ardent feminist Emmeline Pankhurst sat here, campaigning for women's rights. Now a monument has been erected in her honor near the Palace of Westminster.

Each of the four dials of Big Ben is engraved with an inscription meaning, translated from Latin, “God Save Queen Victoria I,” and the inscription “Praise be to God” can also be seen on four sides of the building.

The total height of Big Ben is 96 meters, of which 35 are the cast iron spire. The external cladding is Estonian limestone, which has been in demand for seven hundred years. Although the tower is smaller in size than its neighbor, the Victoria Tower, for some reason it is much more loved by the townspeople. Big Ben has an inexplicable charisma that has not let go of the attention of travelers for many years.

Clock structure and malfunctions

At a height of 55 meters from the ground there is a huge clock with a diameter of seven meters. Until 1962, these dials were the largest in the world, but then he had to give the laurels to the American Allen-Bradley clock tower (at the same time, Big Ben still remained the largest chiming clock tower, since the Americans did not equip theirs with bells). The clocks are located on all four sides of the tower.

The hour hands are made of cast iron, and the lighter minute hands are made of sheet copper. The dials themselves are made of expensive Birmingham opal, but not solid, but “split” into more than 300 pieces. Some of the pieces can be removed in order to get to the arrows. Unlike many other Roman numeral clocks of the time, the number 4 is indicated on Big Ben as IV rather than IIII.

The clock is set to Greenwich Mean Time, the most accurate in the world; perfect running has been carefully maintained since 1854. The creators developed a very original and even risky mechanism - they made the key winding not aperiodic, but a double three-stage one. This optimally separated the pendulum from the clock mechanism. The pendulum, by the way, weighs three hundred kilograms and is almost four meters long. It swings every two seconds.

When the decision was made to build the tower, the authorities promised to allocate money only on the condition that the clock on it would be the most accurate in the world. The designers had to try hard to convince them of this. However, like any clock, Big Ben starts to lag from time to time. Although this is a measly 2.5 seconds per day, accuracy must be maintained. To do this, a simple and ingenious method is used - an ancient British coin is placed on the pendulum. After swinging with the coin for a while, the pendulum evens out the clock. In this way, the mechanism has been functioning for more than one and a half hundred years. Of course, parts are periodically replaced or lubricated as necessary maintenance procedures.

Every year Westminster clockmakers have the huge responsibility of changing the time on the big clock when British Summer Time ends and Greenwich Mean Time begins. The process requires high precision and accuracy. In addition, watchmakers also service more than two thousand clock mechanisms located in parliamentary buildings.

Work stoppages:

A funny incident occurred in 1949 when the clocks began to fall behind by as much as four minutes. Many people spoke indignantly about the mechanism being too old, but it turned out that the culprit was a flock of starlings that sat down to rest right on one of the minute hands.

In 1962, Big Ben became heavily icy. Experts, having examined it, decided that breaking off pieces of ice would be dangerous, so the mechanism was simply turned off and turned on again in the spring.

In general, weather factors often caused problems with the operation of the watch. In 2005, due to terrible heat, the arrows stopped twice a day - although this is almost impossible to logically explain, there are no further assumptions about the reasons. The repairs took a record 33 hours in a row, while the hands moved with the help of a specially connected electric motor.

During the First and Second World Wars, a special regime was organized for the operation of Big Ben. At times the bell did not chime the time and the night lights did not turn on. However, the watch itself functioned properly. In 1941 the tower was damaged by bombing, but the damage was not too serious.

Bells of Big Ben

The name of the entire building was given by its largest and heaviest bell - Big Ben. It weighs 16 tons, and it was carried to the construction site on sixteen horses, while an admiring crowd of people ran around. However, during the first test the bell received a crack and was sent for repairs. The new bell became slightly smaller, weighing about 14 tons. Finally, on May 31, 1859, residents of the capital heard the first bell ringing of Big Ben.

True, the second version soon began to crack. They did not remove and change the bell again; they limited themselves to minor repairs. Today, a special square cut has been made in the device, thanks to which the crack does not spread. All this was reflected in the sound - the resonating chime of Big Ben cannot be confused with anything.

Around the giant there are several more modest bells. Every 15 minutes they play rhythmic melodies. There is a microphone installed inside the building, thanks to which the chime is broadcast on TV.

History of the name

The answer to the question of why the bell was named Big Ben does not have an exact answer, although there are two versions. The first is that it is named after Lord Benjamin Hall, a rather large gentleman with a deep, sonorous voice, who is the curator of construction work. Allegedly, at a meeting where the name of the bell was being chosen, he spoke for so long and tediously that someone from the audience shouted: “Let's give it the name Big Ben and finally calm down!” Some of the participants burst out laughing, but everyone liked the idea. Another version connects the giant bell with the then famous boxer Benjamin Count.

It was also proposed to name it after Queen Victoria, but this option did not gain popularity. And in 2012, the building was renamed, it was officially given the name of the current English Queen Elizabeth II, 331 members of parliament voted for this. Of course, among the people he has always been and remains Big Ben.

Big Ben today

The building does not host tourist excursions for foreigners; this is a government decision. Only a narrow circle of certain people can get inside; they have to climb a narrow spiral staircase with more than 300 steps - of course, there is no elevator in the tower. The main reason for the ban is the threat of terrorist attacks, because the building belongs to the premises of the country's parliament. However, from time to time excursions around Big Ben are held, but exclusively for British citizens, and they must be conducted by one of the deputies.

Panorama of Big Ben

True, right now the building is under reconstruction. Large-scale work was announced in April 2016 and will last three years, starting in 2017. But tours to other parliamentary buildings can still be booked. The last time extensive restoration work was carried out was thirty years ago, it is now necessary to ensure that the building is in acceptable condition and can be preserved for posterity.

Others are forced to be content with only the appearance of the tower and take pictures next to it. In London you can also find a great many small copies of the landmark. They are a cross between tall grandfather clocks and clock towers. These duplicates are located literally at every intersection.

On those days when Parliament sits in the tower in the evening, the lights at the top are always turned on. This is a tradition introduced by Queen Victoria so that everyone can see whether politicians are actually doing work or messing around. Since 1912, electric lamps have been used for this purpose, and earlier gas jets were used.

By the way, Big Ben is slowly starting to tilt. Of course, he is still a long way from the Leaning Tower of Pisa, but changes in the ground are making themselves felt. The emergence of the Jubilee metro line also played a significant role. True, the builders claim that they have foreseen this. Since its construction, the tower has already shifted by 22 centimeters, causing a tilt of 1/250 to the north-west. Also, due to the weather, fluctuations of several millimeters regularly occur.

How to get to Big Ben?

The tower is located just a couple of tens of meters from Westminster metro station, which is served by trains of three lines - grey, green and yellow. So it’s very easy to get here from anywhere in the city for only one and a half pounds sterling (if you have an Oyster card, this is a kind of London travel card).

Big Ben on the map of London

In addition, there are quite a lot of bus stops in the Westminster area, and transport runs even at night. The bus fare is the same as the metro. But taxi services will cost much more - about seven pounds sterling per mile. However, if you are traveling without luggage, you can always rent a bicycle at a special self-service parking lot. This will relieve you from traffic jams and allow you to fully enjoy the atmosphere of the city. Journeys cost £2 every half hour.

General information about parliamentary buildings

Not only Big Ben, but also the Palace of Westmincer as a whole can be called the face of London. Meetings of both chambers of government are held here almost every day. The building, 300 meters long, looks very majestic, and the number of internal rooms exceeds 1200. If a person decides to walk around the entire palace, he will have to overcome a hundred stairs and about five kilometers of corridors in total.

The building was originally built for the royal family, but in 1834 a terrible fire left most of the rooms unusable, after which it was decided to rebuild it according to a new design in the Gothic style. True, the ancient architecture still remains in the large reception hall, as well as in the unique Jewel Tower, built to store the treasury of Edward III.

The palace is flanked by two towers, one of which is Big Ben, and the second is the Victoria Tower, which also serves as the entrance to the castle for the royal family; On holidays, the national flag is raised on it.

Tours of the palace are available to tourists, including foreigners, although this was not the case until 2004. Now, when the parliament is on vacation, tourists can take a walk around the legendary building, where the history of the country is being made to this day. In 1965, Britain solemnly celebrated the 700th anniversary of the English Parliament. Despite its importance, this government body did not have its own residence for a long time.

Only in 1547 did they begin to use the Chapel of St. Stephen, located in the old palace, as its function. To do this, it was necessary to distort the architectural style of the hall by placing benches around it. There were other inconveniences, but despite this, parliament met in the chapel until the fire of 1834. After perestroika, the organ finally acquired its own premises. The new building quickly became a landmark due to its impeccable architectural solutions, into which the Clock Tower fit very organically.

Big Ben has long been firmly entrenched in the hearts of the British as an unshakable symbol - the same as the Moscow Kremlin for Russians, and the Statue of Liberty for Americans. The image of the landmark is actively used in popular culture and art.