The original bell cracked shortly after it was first installed but was replaced by a new one in 1859 which is the same one we hear today - it's 159 years-old.The origin of Big Ben's name isn't 100% certain but it's thought the bell may have been named after in honour of Sir Benjamin Hall whose name is inscribed on it. It's the tower at the North End of the Houses of Parliament.Nestled on the north banks of the Thames, just over Westminster Bridge Westminster Palace gets its name from its neighbour Westminster Abbey.Big Ben is undergoing vital repair works to keep it in tip top condition. Big Ben, the Great Bell of the Elizabeth Tower turns 160 on 11 July 2019, as the vital conservation programme continues, securing the future of one of the world’s best loved landmarks for generations to come. You can only set your username once.As this work takes place, from noon on Monday 21 August the bell’s hourly chimes will be paused until 2021.The Great Bell, popularly called Big Ben, weighs 13.7 tonnes and strikes every hour, to the note of E natural. Big Ben’s spire revealed as first pieces of scaffolding removed . The deafening chimes are …
But another theory is that the bell was got its nickname from contemporary heavyweight boxer Benjamin Gaunt.The Elizabeth Tower which houses Big Ben was built after a fire destroyed a large part of Westminster Palace in 1834.A brick enclosure in the tower will be replaced with glass to allow Big Ben to be viewed by visitors walking up the staircase.It sits in The Elizabeth Tower was formally known as the clock tower but was renamed in 2012 to mark Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee. Starting in early 2017, bells in the U.K. Parliament’s famous clock tower will go It's the home of English politics and where the day to day running of the country takes place.UK and overseas residents can book tours of the Houses of Parliaments, watch debates and sit in on committees.Of course, the name Big Ben is commonly used to refer to the tower, though it's proper name is the Elizabeth Tower.
The Big Ben nickname originally referred to the 13.5 tonne Great Bell within the tower, but has long been the commonly used name for the clock and tower as a whole. They also stopped between 1983 and 1985 as part of a refurbishment programme.The bongs of Big Ben, the bell inside the clock tower above the Houses of Parliament, are to be silenced for four years for conservation works.Please preview your comment below and click ‘post’ when you’re happy with it.Steve Jaggs, keeper of the clock, said: “I have the great honour of ensuring this beautiful piece of Victorian engineering is in top condition on a daily basis. It sits in The Elizabeth Tower was formally known as the clock tower but was renamed in 2012 to mark Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee.