From the original building, only little remained, as it was almost completely destroyed by a big fire in October 1834. As early as 1295, the Palace of Westminster was a regular meeting place for the Anglo-Saxon nobility and until 1529 it was also the London residence of the English kings.Īfterwards, it exclusively served as a parliament in which the representatives of the nobility and the bourgeoisie met. The origins of the Palace of Westminster date back to the 11th century, when the Anglo-Saxon King Edward built a fortification here, which was gradually converted into a palace by subsequent rulers. The Palace of Westminster – Birthplace of Western Democracy Unfortunately, the tower and clock may be partially obscured by scaffolding and tarpaulins at the moment – and probably until 2021 – due to restoration work. It lights up whenever Parliament is in session. Its clock face is about 30 square metres in size and a team of specialists takes care of the smooth functioning of the clock, which consists of more than 300 parts. The sequence of notes is known as the Westminster chime and many alarm clocks and doorbells draw on this harmonious and memorable signal.Īlthough the name Big Ben originally referred only to the bell, which weighs almost 14 tons, in common parlance the name applies to the entire clock tower with its huge clock visible from afar. The sequence of notes is taken from a work by the famous German composer George Frideric Handel. When Big Ben strikes five times, it is the signal for many English tourists to interrupt their city stroll and visit a café for the typical British “5 O’Clock Tea Time”.īetween the strokes of the hour, a little melody is regularly heard, which Londoners proudly call “The Voice of Britain”. Big Ben – the proud landmark of Londonīig Ben is one of the five bells that ring out a distinctive chime every hour on the hour according to the current time. On the occasion of Queen Elizabeth II’s 60th anniversary on the throne, the clock tower – “The Clock Tower” – was renamed Elizabeth Tower. And in the approximately 97 meter high clock tower hangs by far the most famous bell in the world, the Big Ben. They house the oldest parliament in the world, which already met here in 1295. The renovations, which will be completed in 2022, are the most extensive in its history.The Houses of Parliament are a superlative in every respect.It’s not quite the Leaning Tower of Pisa, but Big Ben does lean very slightly by 4 degrees.Some say it honours a 19th-century heavyweight boxing champion called Benjamin Caunt whose nickname was Big Ben. There are no credible historical references as to why it is called Big Ben.The government planned to use fake Big Ben bongs during the Second World War to confuse Nazi planes trying to find Westminster.It suffered a direct hit during the war but continued its hourly bongs. Not even the Second World War could stop Big Ben’s chimes.There are four other smaller bells in the clock tower.Pennies carefully placed on the bell’s pendulum ensure the chiming is always accurate.
Visitors are warned they need to be fit enough to manage the steps.
Big Ben (the bell) weighs 13.76 tons, and the tower is 96 metres tall.It was built in 1848 during the Victorian period.Also, the bell’s real name is the Great Bell and the clock tower is called the Elizabeth Tower. It’s commonly known as Big Ben but that’s just the nickname for the bell (which isn’t visible from the street).Here are some interesting facts about Big Ben from the official Parliament website to help you understand how incredible this timekeeping monument is.
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