What are the clocks called in London? The legendary Big Ben clock tower in London

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 a symbol of that London where old ladies drink tea at five o'clock in the afternoon and it always rains outside. Even for the thousandth time, when I look at this monumental tower, I feel awe!

I even get the feeling that the Queen might walk nearby at any moment in her crazy hat, because she also really likes looking at this typical London landscape.

Where is Bin Ben and how to get to it

The closest metro station to the Bean Ben tower is Westminster, as well as the bus stop of the same name. By the way, there is another stop nearby: Parliament Square. You can get there by buses No. 3, 11, 12, 34, 53, 87, 88, 148, 159, 453, 748, 750, 751, 758, 786, 788, 789, 790, N2, N109, N155, N381.

Stops from which you can quickly walk to Big Ben are marked on the map.

Nearby is Westminster Abbey, St. James's, royal treasury (Jewel Tower).

Parking is quite difficult to find in this part of the city, so it's easiest to book a taxi if you don't want to use public transport. Just ask the driver to take you to Big Ben - everyone knows where it is, and it is easily recognized on all maps. But I always prefer the metro or walking from the center.

History of the Great Tower

I'll tell you a little about the history of the tower itself, the bell and the clock.

Elizabeth Tower

The Clock Tower has been named after the Queen's Tower since 2012, when the Queen's Diamond Jubilee was celebrated.

The first tower was built back in 1288 during the reign of Edward I. It was located at New Pace Yard in the northern part, and also had a bell and a clock. I read that the tower was first called Great Edward, and then renamed Great Tom.

The tower was replaced in 1367 and featured England's first striking clock for public use. But already at the beginning of the 18th century, the new structure was in poor condition and was demolished. A sundial was placed at this place. It seems to me that it’s hard to imagine without Bin Ben now, isn’t it?

During a fire in 1834, much of the Palace of Westminster was destroyed. This prompted the state to reconstruct and install a new bell tower. Ser Charles Barry's final design was approved two years later.

Elizabeth Tower was built from the inside, so the work on the outside was not visible to others. Copper, Yorkshire and Norman stone and Cornish granite were brought down the river, and iron slabs for the roof were brought from Birmingham.

Now visitors to the city are greeted by a tower of 11 floors, and 334 steps lead to the Big Ben bell.

Bell Big Ben

It is the bell that is called Big Ben. It was interesting for me to learn that it was previously called Great Bell, but the name was changed in honor of the Minister of Public Works, Ser Benjamin Hall, a famous Welsh engineer and politician. He was a respected man and was above average in height, which is why he was sometimes called Big Ben.

I'll tell you a secret that the bell didn't work out on the first try. At first, the casting was carried out by Warners of Norton, and in 1856, 16 white horses solemnly carried it through the city from the port. The bell was hung in New Pace Yard and was tested daily until October 17 the following year, until a 1.2m crack appeared. They blamed the designer Denison, who insisted on increasing the volume to 660 kg.

For the second time, George Miars was involved in casting the bell, and Charles Barry designed it. It already weighed 2.5 tons less than before, and in 1858 it was delivered to the Elizabeth Tower. In July of the following year it rang for the first time, but in September it cracked again and was silent for more than four years.

Ser George Airey, the royal astronomer, was able to find a way out of the situation. The bell was turned over so that the strikes fell on a different place. The hammer was replaced with a lighter version, and a small square was cut into the bell to prevent further expansion of the crack.

As a result, all the work on the bell cost £22,000, which today would be about 100 million rubles!

Watch

The construction of the tower clock was undertaken by Benjamin Lewis Villamy and Sir George Airey. They sought to set the time in the most accurate way so that every hour the city residents would hear the bell ringing.

Telegrams from the Greenwich Observatory were supposed to arrive twice a day. Such high standards led to a delay in completion of the work, which lasted seven years. For this reason, in 1852 the design was changed to the version proposed by Denison. It was his design that became a kind of standard for making tower clocks.

Installation took place in 1859. External ornaments were suggested by Augustus Valley Pugin and Ser Barry. Under the clock you can see the inscription Domine Salvam fac Reginam nostrum Victoriam primam, which means “God save our Queen Victoria I.”

In the summer of 2007, a team of technicians began cleaning the watch. Such work is repeated every five years. That is, the last time this happened was in 2012, and very soon, in 2017, it will be possible to observe this again.

Visit to Big Ben Tower

I'm sorry to upset you, but only UK residents can visit the tower. In doing so, they need to write to a Member of Parliament or a member of the House of Lords asking them to sponsor their visit to Big Ben. Perhaps a letter should be inspiring!

For those lucky enough to have British citizenship, tours will only begin again in 2020 due to restoration work being carried out on the tower.

However, you can visit the Houses of Parliament and order an audio guide in English. You can also view the tower from the inside on a virtual tour. This will not replace a real visit to the tower, but still, this option, it seems to me, is better than nothing.

Conclusion

Taking a photo with Big Ben in the background is a must for every tourist. There is something truly London about this tower, part of the great history of Foggy Albion. I didn't manage to sneak in, like many other tourists, but to be honest, it's enough for me that I can come and say hello to my friend Ben any day. Then it's like I become part of London! Come here to remind yourself what an amazing place you are in.

Address: UK, London, Palace of Westminster
Date of construction: 1859
Height: 96.3 m
Design, construction: Augustus Pugin
Coordinates: 51°30"02.6"N 0°07"28.2"W

Short description

Accuracy - the politeness of kings. In London this saying is especially true. In the capital of Great Britain, out of several hundred city dials, only one clock runs correctly - on the Big Ben tower, which is part of the architectural ensemble of the Palace of Westminster (popularly known as the Parliament).

View of the tower from the opposite side of the Thames

Traditionally, Big Ben refers to the tower or the clock mechanism installed on it, but in fact this is the name of the huge bell in the clock. Big Ben also has an official name - “Clock Tower of the Palace of Westminster”. The history of London's main chimes dates back to the 1840s, when the architect Charles Barry, busy with the reconstruction of the old Westminster building, decided to add a clock tower to the palace. Parliament agreed to allocate money for the construction of the clock, but on the condition that it would be the most accurate in the UK, and its ringing would be heard throughout the capital.

The design of the clock tower was designed by the internationally recognized master of neo-Gothic style - Augustus Pugin. Big Ben reached a height of 96 meters. The brick tower, topped with a spire and clad in colored limestone, sits on a 15-meter concrete foundation. At a height of 55 meters, space was left for the clock dials, which were also designed by O. Pugin. The dial was assembled from 312 pieces of glass opal, enclosed in 7-meter steel frames, and the edges of the discs were gilded. The hour hands, 2.7 meters long, were cast from cast iron, and the minute hands, 4.2 meters long, were cast from copper. Inside the tower, below the clock room, a 300-kilogram pendulum and a mechanism weighing 5 tons were placed.

View of the tower at night

For a long time, the London dial was considered the largest in the world, until its record was broken by a clock located on the Allen Bradley building in Wisconsin, USA. But the Americans did not add chimes to their chimes, so Big Ben still holds first place in the category “largest four-sided striking clock.”

Big Ben is the most accurate clockwork in the world

The sound is made by a huge bell located inside the tower. This is Big Ben. Master Edmund Beckett Denison took on the task of casting the bell. He decided that his creation should surpass the 10-ton bell in York (“Great Peter”) and cast a bell weighing 16 tons. To do this, Denison changed the traditional alloy recipe and the shape of the casting product.

In the presence of a large audience, the bell was solemnly delivered on a cart drawn by 16 horses. But two months later the bell cracked, and a new one weighing 13.7 tons had to be cast, and the weight of the hammer that delivered the blows had to be halved. The second bell cracked again, but this time they limited themselves to repairing it: they made a square cut to prevent the crack from spreading, and Big Ben itself was turned a quarter turn so that the hammer would not touch the damage. On May 31, 1859, Big Ben announced London for the first time with its famous resonating chime..

General view of the tower

For 150 years now, Big Ben has been regularly ringing every hour, and the small bells surrounding it help in this. Together they play the melody of the Cambridge chimes, beating out the rhythm of the following words: “In this hour the Lord protects me, and his strength will not allow anyone to stumble.” The first strike of the hammer on the bell coincides exactly with the 1st second of the hour. And if Big Ben suddenly decides to be late or fall behind, then a coin is placed on his pendulum - an old English penny, which speeds up the movement of the clock by 2.5 seconds per day. By adding or removing a coin, the caretaker ensures the accuracy of the five-ton mechanism.

However, they miscalculated once. A few years ago, when Big Ben fell behind by 1 second, the caretaker almost resigned. Every two days the mechanism is checked and lubricated. Big Ben - Big Lord Ben At the base of each of the four dials of Big Ben there is an inscription in Latin: “God save our Queen Victoria I.” This is a kind of tribute to the empress, who ruled the country for more than 63 years; after all, it was during the Victorian era that the British Empire reached its peak. But the bell itself, Big Ben, is named after Lord Benjamin Hall. The British say that at a parliamentary meeting dedicated to discussing the name of the bell, Sir Hall made a long, boring speech.

Great Clock of Westminster

And suddenly some joker shouted: “Call the bell Big Ben and put an end to this hopeless business!” There was a burst of laughter in the House of Lords, indicating unanimous agreement. The fact is that Sir Hall had a solid build and spoke in a loud bass voice, for which he received the nickname Big Ben, that is, Big Ben. According to another version, the watch was named not after the lord, but after the famous heavyweight boxer of that time. Visiting Big Ben In the 1920s, with the advent of the radio era, Big Ben became famous throughout the world. Every hour, the BBC radio station broadcasts a live broadcast of the chimes. In London, tourists are only allowed to watch the clock strike from outside. Guests are not allowed into the clock tower of the palace, where parliament sits, in order to eliminate the terrorist threat. Only citizens of London and titled persons can climb up the 334-step spiral staircase and examine the inner workings of the clock and bell.

Moyan Brenn / flickr.com John Morgan / flickr.com View of Big Ben and the 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 Dial (Phil Dolby / flickr.com) Hernán Piñera / flickr.com Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament (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 along 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 after whom is it named? Answers to this question vary.

There is a main version that the bell was named after Benjamin Hall, who was supervising the construction and a man of large 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 mentioned it as St. Stephen's Tower. 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 tower design 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 St. Stephen's Tower. The neo-Gothic style, which gives the charm of Big Ben, was implemented in the design of the tower by Augustus Pugin.

The clock tower was built in 1858. The bell for the tower itself 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 terms of sound volume and creating a bell that weighs as much as no other bell in the kingdom has weighed before.

The first bell weighed 14.5 tons, however, it could not withstand the blow of an overly heavy hammer and split due to Edmund Denison's mistake. After this event, a second bell weighing 13.7 tons was cast, which later became known as the Big Ben bell.

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

The clock for the tower was designed by the kingdom's astronomer George Airy together with watchmaker Edmund Denison. The astronomer needed high accuracy not only of the clock mechanism itself, but also for the bell to chime the hours 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 the time the clock shows.

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

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

Appearance

The size of Big Ben is quite impressive. The height of the clock tower together with the spire is 96.3 meters. The clock mechanism itself begins at an altitude of 55 meters. The Big Ben clock can be seen from four sides.

Big Ben Dial (Phil Dolby / flickr.com)

The length of the clock pendulum is 4 meters and weighs 300 kilograms. The stroke of a 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, and there is a spire on it.

Under each of Big Ben's four dials is the Latin inscription "God Save Queen Victoria the First".

Big Ben as a landmark has many interesting features:

• The clock tower is the second largest in the world in size.
• For a short time, Big Ben was a prison. In its entire history, only one prisoner was 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 rotates 190 kilometers per year.
• The watch is very accurate and the time it shows is the 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.
• The accuracy of the clock is achieved using an old 1 penny coin. It needs to be placed on the pendulum and then the mechanism accelerates by 0.4 seconds per day.
• Big Ben in London strikes every hour and time is counted from it 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 entire complex of buildings is located next to Parliament, Buckingham Palace and other attractions. Full information about where it is located can be found in tourist guides.

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

Big Ben (Great Britain) - description, history, location. Exact address, phone number, website. Tourist reviews, photos and videos.

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The clock tower of the Palace of Westminster in London is known throughout the world as Big Ben. Meetings of the House of Lords and the House of Commons are held in the Palace of Westminster, in the many kilometers of corridors of the palace it is easy to lose the right direction, there is hardly a person who has visited all of its 1200 rooms, but the most famous part of the palace - the clock tower - is known, without exaggeration, to everyone world and is one of the most striking architectural symbols of the city.

The height of the tower is 96 meters, and a narrow spiral staircase of 334 steps is hidden inside it. After passing them all, you can get to a small open area where the famous bell Big Ben is located. It is he who strikes the time every hour, and it is his sounds that are transmitted every hour on BBC radio. It was this bell that gave the name to both the clock and the tower itself.

The bell is large: 2 meters in height and 3 meters at the base. The dimensions of the watch are no less striking: their diameter is 7 meters, and the hands are 2.7 and 4.2 m long.

The clock was put into operation on May 21, 1859 (the tower itself was built a year earlier) and to this day is listed as the largest clock in the world. Their four dials are made of opaline glass, bordered by gilded frames and have a Latin inscription, which means “God save our Queen Victoria”. This clock also has global significance: officially the new year on planet Earth begins with the first strike of Big Ben on January 1.

It is interesting that Londoners living near the Palace of Westminster hear thirteen strikes of the Big Ben bell on New Year's Eve: the effect is due to the fact that the speed of sound is slower than the speed of radio waves.

Unfortunately, the general public does not have the opportunity to climb the Big Ben tower: safety concerns come first. But from time to time, representatives of the press and various important guests of Great Britain get the opportunity to climb it. But even important guests are forced to climb the steps of the stairs on their own: there are no lifts inside the tower.

The Big Ben Clock Tower systematically becomes the “heroine” of many films, personifying the image of London.