One of the most famous landmarks in the world, and certainly in the London metropolis, is the clock bell tower commonly referred to as Big Ben. At 315-feet (96 metres), this iconic tower is the largest four-faced clock tower in the world. What many people don’t know is that Big Ben is not the real name of the clock tower.

Officially, this clock tower is the Elizabeth Tower. Big Ben is a bell in the tower belfry—the largest bell. Due to this famously large bell, people the world over have affectionately nicknamed the whole structure Big Ben.

History

Other clock towers have stood in this location. The first one is believed to have been built in the 1290’s. The second replaced it in 1367 and was England’s first public chiming clock. Since then, other clocks, and even a sundial, have stood at that spot.

When fire destroyed the Palace of Westminster in 1834, reconstruction of the buildings of Parliament included a giant clock with bells to call members of parliament to order and to signal important decisions. The tower stands at the north end of the Houses of Parliament within the Palace of Westminster, in the city of Westminster, next to the River Thames. The famous chimes we know and love rang for the first time on May 31, 1859. This venerable tower has survived war and time.

Names

Though originally named the Clock Tower, Victorian journalists referred to it as St. Stephen’s tower. Anything associated with Parliament was known as news from St. Stephens because members of Parliament, or MP’s, once “sat” or met in St. Stephen’s Hall. So, the name stuck for over a hundred years.

The tower underwent an official name change to the Elizabeth Tower on June 25, 2021 in honor of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II for her Diamond Jubilee.

Origin of Big Ben

No one is certain why the biggest bell became known as Big Ben. There are two prevailing theories: it was named after Sir Benjamin Hall, the first commissioner of works who was known to his friends as “Big Ben”; it was named after the heavyweight champion Benjamin Caunt, also known as “Big Ben.” His nickname became a term that referred to anything that is heaviest in its class.

The grand bell, Big Ben, is one of four bells which combine to chime the famous tune, a part of rings out every fifteen minutes. Big Ben weighs a whopping 13.7 tons, while its companion bells range from 4 to 1.1 tons.

The Bells

Each bell has a different musical note. Big Ben’s note is E. The other bells are G, F#, and B.

The four-note tune that rings out from the Elizabeth Tower was originally named “Cambridge Quarters” because it was first played in Great St. Mary’s Church in Cambridge. Now, the tune is known as is “Westminster Quarters.” This iconic tune is mimicked by many clocks the world over, including my grandparents’ grandfather clock.

Making the Bells Ring

In most churches, each bell swings and strikes a clapper suspended inside. However, bells in the Elizabeth Tower are fixed; hammers strike them from outside powered by a complex mechanism.

Restoration

The Elizabeth Tower underwent a massive, five-year restoration project in 2017. During this time, scaffolding covered most of the tower and the bells fell silent. The nearly £80 million restoration project improved the integrity of the structure and virtually every aspect of the tower and all its inner-workings. Restoration experts painstakingly restored the brighter colors that were in the original architects’ creation.

Adam Watrobski, Principal Architect and Head of Architecture and Heritage at the Houses of Parliament who lead this daunting project, said, “Using historic paint analysis and references including Barry’s original design watercolour, contemporary illustrations, and archival photographs, we have recreated the original colour scheme. The dials and clock hands are Prussian blue and gold and the adjacent areas make use of the red, white and blue colours of the Union flag.”

Thanks to the efforts of many dedicated specialists, this historic bell tower will be preserved for generations to come.

The Bells Ring Again

After their five-year silence, the beautiful tones of the bells rang in the New Year in 2022. Here is a YouTube video (GettyImage) New Year’s Eve 2021 and New Year’s Day, 2022. Londoners cheered, and some wept, as the bells rang out once again. I admit to getting a little teary-eyed listening to it.

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