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For most people in the world Big Ben is the most famous clock and one of the major attractions in London, the capital of England. But it is little known that Big Ben actually refers to the clock’s original main bell which cracked under the striking hammer; its metal was recast as the new bell which is in use today. The original name of this turret clock structure is The Clock Tower; it has also been called St. Stephen's Tower.
Big Ben is located at the north-eastern end of the Houses of Parliament in Westminster, London, England.
The clock has been raised in 1854 and completed four years later (in operation since September 7, 1859) as a part of a massive rebuilding of the London’s city after the old Palace of Westminster was destroyed by fire on the night of October 16, 1834, and remained the biggest in the world for a long time after.
Big Ben’s tower is 96.3 metres high and has an estimated weight of 8,670 tonnes. The four clock faces are 55 meters above ground. The hour hand is 8.8 meters long and the minute hand is 7.9 meters long. Because of its weight and due to ground conditions, the tower leans slightly to the north-west, by about 222 millimetres.
The clock faces are set in an iron framework 7 metres in diameter supporting 576 pieces of opal glass, rather like a stained glass window. The surround of the dials is heavily gilded. At the base of each clock face in gilt letters is the Latin inscription 'DOMINE SALVAM FAC REGINAM NOSTRAM VICTORIAM PRIMAM' meaning 'Lord save our Queen Victoria I'.
The clock faces and dials were designed by Augustus Pugin. The clock became operational on September 7, 1859.
During World War II the tower's western clock face was hit and damaged by German bombing.
back to United Kingdom info
8 photos
Big Ben, London
For most people in the world Big Ben is the most famous clock and one of the major attractions in London, the capital of England. But it is little known that Big Ben actually refers to the clock’s original main bell which cracked under the striking hammer; its metal was recast as the new bell which is in use today. The original name of this turret clock structure is The Clock Tower; it has also been called St. Stephen's Tower.
Big Ben is located at the north-eastern end of the Houses of Parliament in Westminster, London, England.
The clock has been raised in 1854 and completed four years later (in operation since September 7, 1859) as a part of a massive rebuilding of the London’s city after the old Palace of Westminster was destroyed by fire on the night of October 16, 1834, and remained the biggest in the world for a long time after.
Big Ben’s tower is 96.3 metres high and has an estimated weight of 8,670 tonnes. The four clock faces are 55 meters above ground. The hour hand is 8.8 meters long and the minute hand is 7.9 meters long. Because of its weight and due to ground conditions, the tower leans slightly to the north-west, by about 222 millimetres.
The clock faces are set in an iron framework 7 metres in diameter supporting 576 pieces of opal glass, rather like a stained glass window. The surround of the dials is heavily gilded. At the base of each clock face in gilt letters is the Latin inscription 'DOMINE SALVAM FAC REGINAM NOSTRAM VICTORIAM PRIMAM' meaning 'Lord save our Queen Victoria I'.
The clock faces and dials were designed by Augustus Pugin. The clock became operational on September 7, 1859.
During World War II the tower's western clock face was hit and damaged by German bombing.
back to United Kingdom info
8 photos
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