The iconic Big Ben is well-known around the world and is a symbol that is representative of the United Kingdom. While you may be used to referring to the tower, clock, and bell collectively as “Big Ben,” the nickname was originally only given to the bell itself. The tower was originally called the Clock Tower and is now officially known as the Elizabeth Tower, while clock is called the Great Clock and the bell known as Big Ben is still officially called the Great Bell. The name “Big Ben” is said to have been given to the bell by London residents around the time the bell was put in place. There are a couple of different “Ben”s to whom Londoners may have been referring when they gave it the nickname. The name Sir Benjamin Hall is engraved on the bell, and it is likely that he is the bell’s namesake. Benjamin Hall was a civil engineer and the First Commissioner of Public Works at the time the bell was installed. On the other hand, Londoners may also have been referring to English heavyweight champion boxer, Ben Caunt.
From the bottom of the tower to the belfry, there are 334 steps, and if you continued on to the lantern at the very top, there are 393 steps total. The idea for a clock tower was conceived by architect Charles Barry, who was making plans to rebuild Parliament after an 1834 fire. However, it took many years for the tower to be completed after a variety of delays. Officially,Big Ben was 150 years old in 2009, as the tower clock first began working on May 31, 1859 and Big Ben began chiming the hours on July 11, 1859. However, Big Ben itself was actually first cast in April of 1858, making it about a year older than its anniversary date suggests. The bell is made from tin and copper, and it weighs about 13 and a half tons.
Unfortunately, tours of the Elizabeth Tower where Big Ben is housed have been closed to anyone other than permanent UK residents ever since 2010, due to security concerns. If you’re a tourist in London, it’s still definitely worth a visit to the Palace of Westminster where the tower is located to view the tower from the outside and to hear the bell chime when the clock strikes the hour. If you are a permanent UK resident who wants to tour the tower, tours are free of charge but need to be arranged well in advance. Tours can be arranged through local MPs or through a Member of the House of Lords, and residents should expect to have to arrange tours anywhere from three to six months in advance. As well as a trip to the very top of the tower for a stunning view of the city of London, tours of the tower include a trip behind the face of the clock to see the mechanism room and find out details about how the clock works.
Want to see it in person? Take an England Tour or combine your visit with Scotland or Ireland.
