Big Ben is an iconic reminder of the rich history and culture of London, and its chimes will continue to resonate throughout the city for many years to come.īig Ben has long been synonymous with London, symbolizing the passage of time and being heard throughout the night. The chimes can be heard at a distance of up to 5 miles, and the bell is rung on special occasions such as New Year’s Eve and Remembrance Day. Every Saturday, Big Ben plays the Westminster Quarters, a series of four quarter chimes, each lasting three seconds. Every 15 minutes, Big Ben chimes the time with four distinct chimes – two strikes for the hour, followed by a single strike for the quarter hour. the visit is an absolute must, as essential as it is to take a photo.Big Ben is one of the most iconic and recognizable landmarks in London, and its chimes can be heard throughout the city.
Its image has also been used in hundreds of films, series, TV ads… and you will surely remember the act of vandalism that Tim Burton committed in his film Mars Attacks!, when some Martians completely destroyed the tower. In short, Big Ben is a veritable symbol of the city of London and is one of the most commonly recognisable buildings. We know that the complicated operation of hoisting it to the top of the tower took 18 hours. The definitive bell, which sounded for the first time in 1859, measures 2.7 metres in diameter and has a small crack. In 1857 the first attempt to make the clock work was dashed when the bell broke due to the use of a too low clapper. Its designers were Sir George Airey and Edmund Denison, while the person entrusted to build the clock mechanism was Edward Dent. The clock, famous for its accuracy, has 4 faces measuring 7 meters diameter each one. Others think that it comes from the name of Ben Caunt, the famous boxer of the time.
Some people suggest that it is down to Benjamin Hall, a corpulent man who was prefect of Public Works when the bell was installed in 1858.
The origin of the name is not clear, however. Moreover, the official name of the bell is the Great Bell, Big Ben being a type of nickname. The name Big Ben in reality refers to the massive bell weighing 13.5 tons that strikes the hours. Well, although when we speak of Big Ben everyone understands that we are referring to this neo-Gothic tower designed by the architect Sir Charles Barry, we should really use its correct name: Clock Tower. Before talking about Big Ben we should clear up a few things beforehand: you are probably used to referring to this 96-metre high tower that stands out above the structure of the Houses of Parliament and whose clock shows the really famous carillon.
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