I guess all of you must have heard of Big Ben. According to a recent survey, Big Ben is the UK’s most popular tourist attraction and London’s most famous landmark. However, what else do you know about it? Are you familiar with its history, facts and figures? There are some interesting facts you ought to know, so I will be your tour guide today and I hope you will enjoy your journey.
Let’s start with the name. Most people use it to refer to the clock and the tower, but actually Big Ben is the name of the largest bell (there are four other nameless smaller bells inside the tower). Don’t worry, that was what I initially thought too! The origin of the name ‘Big Ben’ remains uncertain. Some believe that the tower was named after civil engineer and politician Benjamin Hall, who was very tall, while others believe it was named after heavyweight boxer Benjamin Caunt, an Englishman who won a tournament in the year the tower was at the center of a great debate in London. The real name of the tower is ‘the Elizabeth Tower’, after it has been renamed in 2012 from ‘the Clock Tower’. However, the name ‘Big Ben’ stuck since the nickname is much more recognisable than its real name.
The bell is 2.28 meters tall (just over 7 feet), and 2.75 meters wide (9 feet). Yes, you are right! The bell is wider than is tall! It weighs about 13 and a half tons, about the same as an elephant. The tower where Big Ben sits in is called ‘the Clock Tower’ and is 97 meters tall, took 34 years to build, and has 334 steps, which you would have to climb if you were to reach the top. The latter will be a difficult task to achieve, as only the very lucky people can arrange a visit. However, most people can watch a video on the internet, or take a virtual tour at the Parliament website and see the Clock Tower behind the clock face.
As you can imagine, looking after the Clock Tower and Big Ben itself is a big job and requires a whole team of people. Several clock engineers and the Keeper of the Great Clock (the big boss) are required to work constantly to ensure the clock keeps correct time and is reset for Daylight Saving Time. They wind the clock three times a week, and are responsible for the maintenance of the clock, as every so often those light bulbs which illuminate the faces at night have to be replaced. There also is a special team required about every five years to complete a very unique task. Their job is to wash, with soap and water only, the four faces of the clock. They have to be extremely careful not to break the glass, or to lean on the hands of this over 155 years old world-famous tower.
So there you have it. Now you know what makes Big Ben precious and why we are so fascinated by it! So make sure you visit it while you are in London, as I am sure you will enjoy the visit of this
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