When Big Ben was built. Big Ben (Elizabeth Tower) - the main chimes of Europe

Big Ben is one of the most popular places of interest in London and symbols of England. Every year many people visit the capital of Great Britain to it and take some photos with it in the background. It is thought that Big Ben is a high tower with a very big clock, but that's not really true.

In fact, this tower is called Saint Stephens Tower, but people, even those who live in the UK, are used to calling it "Big Ben." Actually, Big Ben is the huge bell inside the building. Its weight is about thirty tons and it rings every hour daily: once at one o "clock, twice at two o" clock and so on. However, people who live near the tower can hear at New Year's Night how the bell strikes thirteen. It's considered to be the biggest bell ever made in the country. The bell was firstly used in 1859 and was cracked soon because of the heavy hammer, which struck too strong. After this situation, the hammer was changed, but that crack is still there.

There are many hypotheses for the origin of the name “Big Ben”. The most popular one suggests that the bell was named after Sir Benjamin Hall, who was responsible for the installation. Some of people say he was really tall and that’s why this bell is called big, but the majority believe it is called Big because of its size.

Big Ben is one of the best-known landmarks in Europe. Nowadays the word Big Ben connects the bell, the clock and the tower at the same time. The tower is closed to the general public, but people with a "special interest" might offer an additional excursion for payment.

Big Ben is one of the most popular attractions in London and symbols of England. Many people come to the capital of Great Britain every year to see it and take some photos against its background. It is believed that Big Ben is a tall tower with a very large clock, however, this is not entirely true.

Actually, this tower is called St. Stephen's Tower, but people, even those who live in the United Kingdom, are used to calling it Big Ben. In reality, Big Ben is a huge bell that is located inside the building. Its weight is approximately 13 tons, and it rings daily every hour: once at one in the afternoon, twice at two in the afternoon, and so on. However, people living near the tower can hear on New Year's Eve how it strikes 13 times. This bell is considered the largest among those that were made in this country. The bell rang for the first time in 1859 and soon cracked due to a heavy hammer that hit it too hard. After the incident, the hammer was replaced, but the crack is still there.

There are many speculations about the origin of the name Big Ben. According to one of the more popular versions, the bell was named after Sir Benjamin Hall, who was in charge of the installation. Some say that it was very tall, which is why the bell was called Big, but most believe that it is so named because of its size.

Big Ben is one of the most famous landmarks in Europe. Today, the word Big Ben combines a bell, a clock and a tower at the same time. The tower is closed to the general public, however, people with a "special interest" offer guided tours for a fee.

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Moyan Brenn / flickr.com John Morgan / flickr.com View of Big Ben and Palace of Westminster from Westminster Bridge (Kosala Bandara / flickr.com) View of Big Ben from the London Eye (Linus Follert / flickr.com) ) Norbert Reimer / flickr.com Big Ben Clock Face (Phil Dolby / flickr.com) Hernán Piñera / flickr.com Big Ben and Parliament House (Naz Amir / flickr.com) Ben Cremin / flickr.com Davide D'Amico / flickr .com Matt Machin / flickr.com Never House / flickr.com View of Big Ben from the London Eye (Miguel Mendez / flickr.com) Nikos Koutoulas / flickr.com Stròlic Furlàn - Davide Gabino / flickr.com

Big Ben is the main symbol of London and the whole of Great Britain. This attraction has been known all over the world for many years. It is located in the center of London.

Big Ben indicates the official time of the New Year on the Greenwich meridian. England and other countries located along the prime meridian celebrate the holiday first.

Big Ben is the legendary clock tower of the capital of Great Britain, which is one of the buildings of the Palace of Westminster. Why exactly and who is it named after? Answers to this question vary.

There is a main version that the bell was named after Benjamin Hall, who oversaw the construction, a man of great build. In another version, Big Ben is named after the famous heavyweight boxer, Benjamin Count.

There are other names for this object, for example, the media referred to it as the Tower of St. Stephen. Since 2012, the official name of the attraction is the Clock Tower of the Palace of Westminster.

Construction of Big Ben

It all started in 1837, after a fire, it was necessary to restore the Palace of Westminster. It was planned to build a whole complex of buildings. The design of the tower was chosen.

View of Big Ben from the London Eye (Miguel Mendez / flickr.com)

The honor of becoming an architect fell to Charles Berry. He asked for funds to make a clock on the tower of St. Stephen. The neo-gothic style that gives the charm of Big Ben in the design of the tower was implemented by Augustus Pugin.

The clock tower was built in 1858. The bell itself for the tower was made in 1856, when there were no clocks yet. Its creator was Edmund Denison, who was entrusted with the important task of surpassing all the bells in Great Britain in sounding loudness and creating a bell that weighs as much as any other bell in the kingdom has ever weighed.

The first bell weighed 14.5 tons, however, it could not withstand the blow of a too heavy hammer and broke due to the mistake of Edmund Denison. After such an event, a second bell weighing 13.7 tons was cast, which then became known as the Big Ben bell.

Big Ben Clock Tower (John Morgan / flickr.com)

The clock for the tower was thought out by the astronomer of the kingdom George Airy together with the watchmaker Edmund Denison. The astronomer needed high accuracy not only of the clock mechanism itself, but also for the bell to strike the clock from exactly to the second.

To do this, it was necessary to check hourly by telegraph with the Greenwich Observatory, so there must always be a caretaker in the tower who monitors how much time the clock shows.

To achieve accuracy, it was also necessary to have a reliable design that would last for many years. During the installation of the arrows, it turned out that they were too heavy, as they were made of cast iron, after which they were redone.

The clock on the tower began its work at the end of May in 1859, and in the middle of summer the bell was installed. The watch has a double three-stage stroke, which makes it very accurate. Their weight is about 5 tons.

Appearance

The size of Big Ben is very impressive. The height of the clock tower together with the spire is 96.3 meters. The clock mechanism itself starts at a height of 55 meters. Big Ben clock can be seen from four sides.

Big Ben clock face (Phil Dolby / flickr.com)

The pendulum of the clock is 4 meters long and weighs 300 kilograms. The movement of the clock pendulum is 2 seconds.

The diameter of the dial, made of 312 pieces of opal glass, is 7 meters. It is inscribed in a gilded steel frame.

The length of the large arrow is 4.2 meters, the small one is 2.7 meters. The hour hand is cast iron, the minute hand is made of lighter metal - copper. The roof is made of brick and covered with limestone, it has a spire.

Under each of the four dials of Big Ben there is an inscription in Latin "God save Queen Victoria the First".

Big Ben as an attraction has many interesting features:

• The clock tower is the second largest in the world.
• For a short time, Big Ben was a prison. Only one prisoner has ever been imprisoned in this tower - Emeline Fankhurst.
• Another interesting fact is that it is estimated that the large minute hand of the clock on the tower winds 190 kilometers a year.
• The clock is very accurate and the time it shows is a reference. Although, like any other mechanism, errors sometimes occur. But they are small and amount to 1 or 2 seconds in one direction or another.
• Clock accuracy is achieved with an old 1p coin. It must be put on the pendulum and then the mechanism accelerates by 0.4 seconds per day.
• Big Ben in London strikes every hour and from it time is counted in other countries. His fight is broadcast hourly on BBC radio.

Big Ben is visible on the map as part of the Palace of Westminster on the banks of the Thames. The whole complex of buildings is located near the Parliament, Buckingham Palace and other attractions. Full details of where it is located can be found in tourist guides.

It's no secret that the famous London Clock has been a popular attraction for many years. This building is striking in its size and is an integral part of old London.

Big Ben- clock, tower and bell, which are a symbol of London and one of the most famous world attractions. At the same time, to be precise, only the bell that beats the ringing of the clock bears the name Big Ben, but among the people this name is most often called the clock itself or the entire tower.

About Big Ben

Big Ben is located in the Elizabeth Tower, one of the towers of the Palace of Westminster. Previously, this tower was simply called the "clock tower" or, unofficially, "St. Stephen's tower", but in 2012 it was officially renamed in honor of the 60th birthday of Queen Elizabeth II.

A bell, a pendulum and the entire clockwork are mounted inside the tower. Outside the tower there are 4 dials that look in all directions of the world.

The name Big Ben is also not official; according to one version, the bell got its name in honor of Benjamin Hall, who led the construction of the Palace of Westminster and took part in the installation of the bell. Sir Hall was tall, this fact could be the reason to give this name to the Big Bell, but many consider this version untenable, arguing that Big Ben got his name in honor of the boxer and athlete Benjamin Ben Count.

Big Ben Facts:

• Clock start date: May 31, 1859, but the bell first struck on July 11 of that year
• Bell weight: 13.76 tons
• Height of the Elizabeth Tower: 96 meters
• Clockwork weight: 5 tons
• Dimensions of the watch hands: minute - 4.2 meters, 100 kg, hour - 2.7 meters, 300 kg
• Hammer weight: 200 kg
• Big Ben dial diameter: 7 meters

History of Big Ben

The Elizabeth Tower, where the Big Ben bell and the Great Westminster Clock are located, is part of the Palace of Westminster or, in other words, the Houses of Parliament, which was built in the period 1840-1870 on the site of the first building that burned down in 1834.

The decision to build an accurate clock was made by Parliament in 1844, it was decided to place them in one of the towers of the new palace under construction. Charles Barry, the chief architect, hired Augusto Pugin to build the clock tower.

The clock itself was designed by Benjamin Vallamy, court watchmaker and architect consultant Charles Barry. But this caused dissatisfaction with other famous watchmakers of that time, as a result, a competition was announced in 1846, and court astronomer Sir George Biddel Airy was appointed judge.

Airy approached the matter responsibly, which caused a delay in construction for almost 7 years, but in the end, the mechanism of amateur watchmaker and lawyer Edmund Denison was recognized as the best. In February 1952, Denison's design began to be built at the factory of the famous watchmaker John Dent. The first problem arose almost immediately - the finished mechanism did not fit in the tower under construction, but the interior space was slightly expanded. Then, in 1853, John Dent died, but his adopted son, Frederick Dent, took over the job of assembling the clock.

The clock was assembled and ready to be installed in 1854, but the clock tower of the Palace of Westminster was still under construction and it played into everyone's hands - Denison got time to refine the clock. As a result, he invented a unique gravitational escapement mechanism, which increased the accuracy of the course and excluded, for example, the force of wind pressure on the clock hands.

True, after setting the clock, another problem arose - the minute hand turned out to be too heavy for the mechanism. But the problem was solved quite quickly simply by cutting out new light hands from a copper sheet and the Big Ben clock began to run on May 31, 1859, and less than two months later, the bell's percussion mechanism was connected to them.

Such is the history of the creation of the Great Westminster Clock, which we know as the Big Ben clock. But in the future, many interesting events happened in their fate.

On December 31, 1923, the chiming clock was broadcast on BBC radio, since then it has become a tradition and on BBC Radio 4 channel Big Ben can be heard twice a day, at 6 pm and at midnight. In this case, you will hear not a recording, but a real sound, which is transmitted using a microphone installed inside the tower.

During the world wars, a special mode of clock operation was used. Since 1916, for two years, the bell did not strike the time, and the backlight turned off at night. From September 1, 1939, the clock worked and even beat the bell, but the backlight was not turned on. And in June 1941, Big Ben was damaged during an air raid, but the damage was minor, the clock continued to run, then they were stopped only for a day to repair the tower.

There were also curious cases, for example, in 1949 a flock of starlings sat on the minute hand and slowed down the clock by more than 4 minutes. And in 1962, the clock was iced over, the caretakers had to disconnect the pendulum from the mechanism to avoid damage.

The only major failure of Big Ben occurred on August 5, 1976. The reason was the fatigue of the metal of the torsion bar, which transmitted the load of the pendulum. The clock mechanism suffered significant damage, the hands of Big Ben froze for 9 months, the clock was able to start only on May 9, 1977. After the accident, the watch has been subject to more thorough maintenance, for this they can be stopped for up to two hours, which is not recorded as a stop. But minor breakdowns sometimes occurred after 1977. For example, on May 27, 2005, the clock stopped twice in a day, presumably because of the heat.

In addition, lengthy technical work was carried out several times. In 2005, the clock was stopped for 33 hours, which was a kind of record. But already in August 2007, six weeks of work were carried out to replace the bearings and the fastening system of the large bell, but the arrows were driven by electric motors.

Sometimes Big Ben was stopped intentionally for various reasons. On January 30, 1965, the bells were not struck during Churchill's funeral, and on April 17, 2013, the clock was "silent" because of Thatcher's funeral. On April 30, 1997, the clock was stopped exactly one day before the general election.

Well, the last important milestone in the history of Big Ben is the change of the official name of the bashi from "Sentry" to "Elizabeth Tower". This decision was taken by 331 Members of Parliament on June 2, 2012, in honor of Queen Elizabeth's 60th birthday. The decision was based on the fact that the main tower of the Palace of Westminster got its name "Victoria Tower" in a similar situation - it was renamed in honor of the 60th birthday of Queen Victoria. The official name change ceremony took place on September 12, 2012.

Big Ben Tower

The Clock Tower, now called the Elizabeth Tower, is the north tower of the Palace of Westminster. As already mentioned, Big Ben is an unofficial name, but that is what is used in colloquial speech. Another name that is widespread among the British is "St. Stephen's Tower", but it is not correct either.

The tower was designed by Augusto Pugin, at the request of the chief architect of the palace, Pugin sought to repeat his early works, in particular, the tower of Scarisbrick Hall. But the architect did not see his creation alive, the tower became his last work, before a serious illness and death.

The height of the Big Ben tower is 320 feet (96 meters). The first 200 feet (61 meters) of the tower structure are made of brick and lined with sand-coloured Enston Limestone siding. The rest of the tower is a spire, which is made of cast iron. The tower is based on a concrete foundation 4 meters deep.

The clock faces are located at a height of 54.9 meters. Under them there is a repeating encircling inscription LAUSDEO (Rus. Glory to God).

Under the influence of time, the tower of Big Ben tilted. At the moment, the tower is deflected by about 230 millimeters, which, in relation to the height, gives a slope of 1/240. This figure includes an additional 22 millimeters of slope, which was added when the subway tunnel was widened, but according to the builders, this was planned. And under the influence of the external environment, the tower can deviate by several millimeters towards the west or east.

There is no elevator in Big Ben, you can go upstairs only with the help of 334 steps. But this opportunity is not available to everyone, this attraction is not in the public domain.

Not related to the clock, but an interesting feature of the Big Ben tower is that when any of the Houses of Parliament sits in the evening, a light is on at the top of the tower. It was designed by Queen Victoria so she could see when MPs were really busy at work.

Big Ben clock

dials

The appearance of the four dials, looking to the cardinal points, was invented by the architect of the tower, Augusto Pugina. It is based on a metal frame with a diameter of seven meters, into which 312 pieces of opal glass are inserted using the mosaic method. Individual elements can be removed for inspection and ease of maintenance of the watch. The circumference of the watch is gilded. Also on each dial there is a Latin gilded inscription DOMINE SALVAM FAC REGINAM NOSTRAM VICTORIAM PRIMAM (Russian God save our Queen Victoria I).

The hour hands are 2.7 meters long (hourly) and 4.2 meters long (minutes). The clocks are made of cast iron, and the minute ones were also originally supposed to be cast iron, but in practice they turned out to be too heavy and had to be replaced with thin copper ones.

Roman numerals are used to indicate hours and minutes, but with some peculiarities. For example, instead of the number X (ten), a special symbol is used, which is associated with the superstitions of the architect.

Mechanism

Despite being over 150 years old, Big Ben's clockwork is exceptionally accurate and reliable. Of course, it is carefully looked after, every two days all parts of the mechanism are lubricated, sometimes technical work and replacement of parts are carried out, but many parts of the watch are original, and the design itself has not changed.

The total weight of the entire mechanism is 5 tons. And the main part of any clock, including Big Ben, the pendulum, weighs 300 kg with a length of 4 meters. Its turn takes 2 seconds. An interesting way to adjust the clock - any mechanism gives an error of a few seconds and Big Ben is no exception. But if we simply move ordinary clocks back or forward once a month or even a year, then Big Ben is regulated with the help of coins. One old English penny, placed on top of the pendulum, slows it down by exactly 0.4 seconds per day. Thus, with the help of a few coins, the watchkeeper achieves the maximum accuracy of the clock.

Bells of Big Ben

The main bell of the clock is officially called the Big Bell. The name "Big Ben" has remained a nickname, although it is under this name that both the bell itself and the clock tower are known.

Big Ben was cast on August 6, 1856 by John Warner & Sons. It weighed 16.3 tons and was originally located at New Palace Yard, as the tower was under construction at the time. But during testing, the bell cracked and repairs were entrusted to the Whitechapel Bell Foundry foundry. The original bell was poured on April 10, 1858, its weight decreased to 13.76 tons, and the size was 2.29 meters in height and 2.74 meters in diameter. It was installed in the tower (it took 18 hours to climb) and the townspeople first heard the ringing on July 11, 1859. But already in September, not having served even two months, Big Ben cracked. This time, the culprit was no longer the casters, but the creator of the clockwork, Denison. He used a hammer weighing twice the allowed, although he did not admit his guilt and tried to prove the guilt of the founders in numerous courts, referring to impurities in the bell, however, to no avail. And the analysis carried out in 2002 finally put an end to this issue, there are no extra impurities in Big Ben.

The Big Ben bell was silent for 3 years while it was being repaired. It was decided not to dismantle or melt down the bell, they simply cut out a part of the metal in the place of the crack, and turned the bell so that the hammer would strike in another place. So to this day we hear the ringing of that same cracked Big Ben.

But all those three years the clock was not silent, the time was beaten by four small bells, which usually strike a quarter of an hour. And together with the main bell they beat the melody.

The first strike of Big Ben's chimes corresponds to the first second of the hour. The clock runs according to Greenwich Mean Time and we can say that it is Big Ben that counts the main world time.

The meaning of Big Ben

The clock tower of the Palace of Westminster is now of great importance for the whole of Great Britain, because it is the symbol and the most recognizable building in London. This makes Big Ben one of the world's most famous landmarks along with the Eiffel Tower, the Kremlin or the Statue of Liberty. Therefore, the image of the tower is widely used in various works - in movies, films, games, comics. Seeing the outlines of the tower, we immediately understand that we are talking about London.

Londoners themselves also love and appreciate their main clock. The chimes of Big Ben beat off, including the beginning of the New Year, they listen to it live, on TV and radio, just like we listen to the Kremlin chimes every year in order to drink a glass of champagne on time.

Visiting Big Ben

Despite the huge popularity and popularity of the attraction, it is almost impossible to get inside the tower. There are no guided tours for the general public, as the tower is located in the current parliament building, it is too crowded inside and there is no elevator.

But British citizens can get inside Big Ben, for this you need to organize a tour in advance. Although there is a snag here - only a member of parliament can organize it.

And the rest will have to be content only with the appearance of Big Ben, take photos against its background and study photos of the insides of watches on the Internet or in travel brochures.

Big Ben on the map

How to get to Big Ben

Attraction address: London, Westminster, Parliament building.

Nearest metro station: Westminster, St James's Park and Embankment stations are also within a ten minute walk.

Nearest bus stops: Parliament Square, Westminster, Abingdon Street.

Also near the Palace of Westminster is the pier of the same name, where regular ferries stop.

Tours are only available to UK citizens and must be initiated by a Member of Parliament. At the same time, all tours are usually scheduled six months in advance.

Big Ben - photo

And to be precise, Big Ben is the largest bell located in the clock tower of the Palace of Westminster. Over time, Big Ben began to be called not only the bell, but also the tower itself, as well as the four-sided clock installed on it.

There are always a lot of tourists on the square near the Palace of Westminster, because not coming here is the same as coming to Paris and not seeing the Eiffel Tower or visiting Moscow and not visiting Red Square.

Currently, the Palace of Westminster includes: the Clock Tower and the Victoria Tower, Westminster Hall and the Lobby, as well as the House of Lords and the House of Commons, in which the UK Parliament operates.

Address of Big Ben and Westminster

The address of the Parliament Complex is The Houses 01 Parliament St. Margaret Street London SW1A2AT.

How to get to Big Ben and Westminster

Big Ben is located in the historic district of Westminster and you can get to it:

Metro

The nearest station is Westminster

By bus

Take any bus to Parliament Square (Parliament Square in Victoria Street, opposite the Palace of Westminster) or to Trafalgar Square (Trafalgar Square in Whitehall).

Excursions to Big Ben in 2019

Excursions to Big Ben are suspended due to renovations. It is planned to resume visiting in 2020.

Excursions to Westminster (UK Parliament) in 2019

The British Parliament Building (Westminster) can be visited with an audio guide (available in Russian). Guided tours are held only on days when Parliament is closed:

• Weekly on Saturdays until June 29, 2019
• Check available dates on the official website (see below)

It is highly recommended to buy tickets in advance on the official website. In addition, they are cheaper than when buying at the box office on the day of the visit. It is better to arrive at the Parliament building 15-20 minutes before the time indicated on the ticket. Be sure to have a passport or ID card with you (security may require). At the entrance, there is a security check similar to that at the airport, so it is recommended to take as few things as possible. Photography is allowed only in some rooms.

The cost of an excursion with an audio guide to the British Parliament (Westminster) in 2019

• Until March 31, 2019, the cost is indicated when buying on the site / at the box office on the day of the visit
  • Full ticket £18.5 / £20.5
  • Students and over 60s 16 / 18 pounds
  • Children under 5 years old - free of charge
  • Children from 5 to 15 years old - one child with one adult free of charge; additional child ticket £7.50 / £8.50
• From April 1, 2019:
  • Full ticket £19.5
  • Students and over 60s £17
  • Children under 5 years old - free of charge
  • Children from 5 to 15 years old - one child with one adult free of charge; additional child ticket £8

Origin of the name Big Ben

Until now, there are disputes over the name of the most majestic bell in the Palace of Westminster. According to one version, it came from the name of Benjamin Hall, the master who led the hoisting of the bell on the tower. Sir Benjamin was a large man and was often called Big Ben, and later the name Big Ben was transferred to the bell, clock and tower.

It should be noted that the tower of the Palace of Westminster used to be called St. Stephen's Tower, and in honor of the Queen's 60th birthday in 2012, she received the official name of Elizabeth II, although she is still most often called Big Ben.

History of the construction of the Palace of Westminster

The question of building a new Parliament complex arose after a fire in October 1834, when almost all the buildings of the Palace of Westminster were destroyed. Then a competition was announced for the development of the project, and only works in the style of Elizabethan time and pseudo-Gothic were considered. According to the organizers of the competition, it was these styles that were national and reminded of the medieval origins of the British parliamentary system.

The competition was won by Charles Barry, who became the chief architect of the Palace of Westminster, according to whose project the clock tower was built. He commissioned the architect and draftsman Augustus Pajin to develop its design, for whom this work, according to his confession, was the most difficult in his life. Unfortunately, the tower project was the last for Pagin: he soon went mad and died.

Big Ben Tower

The tower was built in neo-gothic style in 1858. Its height, together with the cast-iron spire, is 96.3 meters, and without the spire - 61 meters.

The massive foundation has an area of ​​15 sq. meters, its thickness is three meters, it goes into the ground by 7 meters.

There is no elevator in the tower, and caretakers, as well as sightseers, have to climb up on foot.

Foreign tourists are not allowed to enter the tower, however, residents of the United Kingdom can climb to a small observation deck by breaking 334 steps along a narrow spiral staircase. During the tour, they will learn about the workings of the clockwork and see London from a height of 62 meters.

Due to changing ground conditions, including the construction of the subway tunnel for the Jubilee line, the tower tilted to the northwest by about 220 millimeters, giving a slope of about 1/250. Depending on weather conditions, this slope changes to the north or west by several millimeters.

At a height of 55 meters, a clockwork is located in the tower.

Big Ben clock

The giant clock was created by amateur watchmaker Edmund Beckett Denison. Four dials are located at a height of 55 meters. The clock was launched on May 31, 1859, and in 2009 a solemn celebration of the 150th anniversary of its operation took place.

The Big Ben clock is the largest chiming clock in the world:

• The weight of the mechanism is 5 tons
• Diameter of dials - 7 meters,
• The length of the large arrows made of copper sheet is 4.2 meters
• The length of small arrows made of cast iron is 2.7 meters
• The pendulums are 4 meters long and weigh 300 kilograms.

Under the dial there is an inscription in Latin “God save our Queen Victoria I”, along the perimeter of the tower – “Praise be to the Lord”.

Interestingly, the accuracy of the clock is adjusted using 1p coins - if you add one coin, the pendulum slows down by 0.4 seconds. In a year, the minute hands cover 190 kilometers.

• During the two years of the First World War, the dials were darkened and the bells did not ring. Throughout the Second World War, although the bells rang, the dials were also darkened.
• In May 1941, as a result of the bombing of German aircraft, two dials and the roof of the tower were damaged, but the watch continued to work.
• On New Year's Eve 1962, due to icing on the hands, in order to prevent breakage, the pendulum, as it was intended in such cases, disconnected from the clockwork and swung idly. As a result, the Big Ben clock announced the New Year 1962 10 minutes late.

Bell Big Ben

It was decided that the clock should be with a fight, for which a huge bell was cast. At the first test, it cracked, in connection with which a smaller bell was cast.

• Big Ben weighs 13.7 tons
• Height - more than two meters
• The diameter is about three meters.

Alas, two months later, to the great regret of master caster George Mears, a crack appeared on the bell. The hammer turned out to be twice as heavy as the maximum possible, determined by Mears, and therefore the heavy tongue damaged the bell.

For three years, only four small bells rang, weighing between 1 and 4 tons. These younger "colleagues" announced the time every quarter of an hour.

The Big Ben was then turned a quarter of a turn to keep the hammer out of the crack, and later a lighter tongue was made for it. Currently, the weight of the hammer is 200 kilograms.

Since 1859, Big Ben has chimed every hour and over 150 years it has chimed more than 8 million times.

At the beginning of each hour, small bells ring out, one of which plays the melody "Westminster Bells", and then you will hear the beats of the famous Big Ben.

Until 1912, the dial was illuminated by gas horns, which were later replaced by electric bulbs, and the sounds of the bell were first heard on the radio on December 31, 1923.

The Big Ben bell is the second largest in the UK after Big Paul, the bell of St Paul's Cathedral in London.

Big Ben is a symbol of London and a visiting card of the capital of Great Britain, and the famous clock tower is a screen saver for the news program. In addition, we often see Big Ben in films whose authors want to show that the action takes place in the capital of Great Britain.

Big Ben clock

In a narrow sense, Big Ben is called the 13-ton bell inside it, and the building itself was officially renamed the Elizabeth Tower in 2012 in honor of the 60th anniversary of the current British monarch's tenure on the throne.

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

But no bans, even if due to good reasons, did not affect 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: Big Ben's clock is rightfully considered the most accurate in the world!

From the history of Big Ben

The construction of the Clock Tower of the Palace of Westminster - this 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, who ruled the British Empire for 63 years, just ascended the throne. At the same time, the parliament building was reconstructed, which suffered in 1834 from a strong fire. The new tower building, located in the northern part of the Palace of Westminster, enriched its architectural complex, 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 "big sister" - the 98-meter Victoria Tower, which is located in the southwestern part of the palace. Its height together with 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 basis of the tower is a concrete foundation, its depth is 4 m.

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

The key to the popularity of Big Ben is not only in the features of the tower as such. 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 a steel frame is huge: 7 meters. The length of the hands - hourly 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 points, and they, respectively, "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 a lighter and thinner copper sheet. The material of the dials 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 get inside the dials and carry out an inspection or some kind of preventive measures.

Big Ben's clock, showing GMT, is the most accurate not only in Foggy Albion, but also in the world. How is their flawless running ensured and maintained? To give an answer, let's turn to what is called the origins. The developers of the chronometer were people who had the most remote relation to this matter. Not counting the watchmaker Edmund Beckett Denison (and then an amateur), the project had a hand in ... lawyer George Airy and the royal astronomer. The clock mechanism was assembled 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 the risk and abandon the aperiodic movement of the key, with which the clock mechanism was wound. And this despite the fact that its presence was provided for by the project. Instead, he developed a double three-stage stroke, which ensured optimal separation of the movement and the pendulum. The latter was installed inside a wind and moisture-proof box, which is located below the clock room. It has a length of 3.9 meters and weighs 300 kilograms - 2 tons less than the mechanism. The pendulum swings every two seconds.

So, back to the question of the accuracy of Big Ben clocks. From time to time they fall behind, and this is a well-known fact. It just doesn't cause any problems. And all thanks to ... the English penny. When the chronometer begins to "deceive", they simply put an old coin weighing one and a half grams 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 the next time. For 150 years, the clock mechanism has never failed, proving its reliability. Maintenance work is carried out periodically, some parts are replaced. Once every two days, the mechanism is thoroughly lubricated. But in general, its design remains unchanged.

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

Watch washing

clock tower bells

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

They raised the giant to the tower for almost a whole day. It was not only heavy, but also overall: a height of 2.2 meters, a width of 2.9 m. And then it happened: on May 31, 1859, Londoners first heard the sound of Big Ben. And although the weight of the hammer that struck was also reduced, the bell cracked again two months later. They no longer cast it on a new one, they limited themselves to a “cosmetic” repair, which lasted 3 years. All this time the bell was silent.

First, a cut was made in the shape of a square, which would prevent further crack propagation. Then they deployed the bell itself so that the hammer would not get damaged. The presence of a defect just creates that unique resonant 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 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 Westminster Quarters tune, also known as the Cambridge Chimes, after St. Mary the Great (Cambridge). They beat the rhythm of such a saying: "At this hour the Lord keeps me, and his strength will not let anyone back down." On December 31, 1923, the chime of the Clock Tower of the Palace of Westminster was first heard on BBC Radio, now the world's largest broadcaster in terms of audience coverage. 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 was made possible thanks to the 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, moreover, became the most famous? There are several versions of this. Let's dwell on this in a little more detail.

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

Another version ties the name of the bell to the name of the then-famous heavyweight boxer Benjamin Count. At the level of rumors, it has come to our days that they even wanted to give the “vociferous” colossus the name of Queen Victoria, and that one of the members of the upper House of Lords allegedly made such a proposal. Only official confirmation of this was not found in the reports on parliamentary meetings. And even if we assume that such an initiative was nevertheless submitted, for some reason it was not destined to come true.

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 on this condition did they agree to allocate 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 could not begin.

Big Ben also served as a ... prison. Parliamentarians who were too rowdy at meetings were imprisoned in the tower. Her last prisoner was the representative of the feminist movement Emmeline Pankhurst, 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 unexpectedly fell behind by as much as four minutes, which became a real emergency. Everyone began to sin against the mechanism: they say, the old one has not stood the test of time. But it turned out that a flock of starlings “played tricks” that decided to sit right on the minute hand.

The next time - it was the winter of 1962 - the clock was iced over. Experts came to the conclusion that when pieces of ice are mechanically broken off, they can be damaged, so they decided not to risk it. The caretakers were instructed to disconnect the pendulum from the clock mechanism so that a large-scale breakdown would not occur. With the onset of the thaw, it was launched again.

However, Big Ben's clock broke down one day. They stopped on August 5, 1976 and froze for nine whole months. The reason is the fatigue of the metal from which the torsion bar suspension of the pendulum was made, which transmitted its load. This accident caused significant damage to the clockwork. After the liquidation of its consequences, the clock was launched on May 9, 1977. What happened was a lesson for the future: from now on, the maintenance of Big Ben was carried out regularly and more carefully. To this end, the clock can be stopped for an hour or two. Moreover, such pauses are not fixed as a stop. Minor breakdowns also happened, but rarely.

On May 27, 2005, the weather factor affected the work of the clock one more time. In London, the sun was unbearably hot, and for this reason the mechanism stopped twice during the day. True, a direct connection between the heat and the stop of Big Ben has not been established for certain, but then there was simply no other explanation. In the same 2005, the mechanism was stopped for 33 hours - planned technical work was carried out. Their duration has become a kind of record. In August 2007, technical work was carried out for the first time without stopping the clockwork. They lasted as long as 6 weeks, while the craftsmen replaced the bearings and the main bell's mounting systems. 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 history of the country, Sir Winston Churchill. On this day, the bells of Big Ben did not chime. The next time the clock fell silent was 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 head the government of the United Kingdom. For her decisiveness in carrying out unpopular reforms, during her lifetime she received the nickname "Iron Lady".

Each dial bears a gilded inscription in Latin: "Domine Salvam fac Reginam nostram Victoriam Primam". The saying translates as "God save our Queen Victoria the First." There is another inscription - around 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 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 sure to turn on. Not everyone knows why. Is this a tradition or a symbol of something? Rather, the first. Victoria came up with it as a way to see with her own eyes whether parliamentarians are really busy with work or only imitate it. Clocks have been illuminated with electric lamps since 1912. Prior to this, gas horns served as a light source, 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 has lost world leadership, as already mentioned, to the Allen-Bradley chronometer in the USA, it still remains the largest four-sided clock with a fight, because the Americans either forgot to add a fight to their chimes, or they didn't want to.

Salute from the tower

Big Ben: today

Many foreign tourists dream of seeing the interior of the Elizabeth Tower, but excursions are not held here for them - this is how 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 an ascent becomes akin to a feat.

Why does this ban exist? The reason is the risk of a terrorist threat: after all, the attraction is part of the architectural complex of the building of the current parliament - the country's highest representative and legislative body. Meanwhile, there are tours of Big Ben from time to time for UK citizens. Only the organizer should 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. Traveling around London, you will surely come across many smaller copies of Big Ben. The duplicates are a cross between a tower and grandfather clocks in British homes. “Clones” began to be installed at almost all city intersections.

Did you know that Big Ben is gradually tilting? Of course, he is far from the indicators of the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy, but the fact remains. Since the construction, the state of the soil has changed, which led to the “fall” of Big Ben. The laying of the underground line of the London Underground "Jubilee" also played the role of a catalyst. But the builders calmed down: they say, they foresaw this and therefore nothing terrible happened.

The Elisabeth Tower has now moved 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 affected by the external environment: fluctuations in one direction or the other depend on weather conditions and amount to several millimeters.

But in spite of everything, Big Ben was and remains a significant symbol for the UK - 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 announcing the New Year in order to raise 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, TV shows, comics, computer games, as well as on envelopes, postcards, and various souvenirs.

How to get there

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