Conrad London St James is located within Queen Anne’s Chambers, less than a 5-minute walk from Westminster Abbey and Big Ben in London. With free WiFi throughout, the hotel is only a 4-minute walk from Parliament Houses and half a...
Travel Attractions
Big Ben
Big Ben
Big Ben
Quick facts
- Name: Big Ben, Great Bell, Elizabeth Tower
- Location: London, UK
- Opened 1859
- Type of attraction: Architectural/Clock Tower
- Ticket price: Free
Big Ben is a nickname of Elizabeth Tower, previously called the Clock Tower and it is a part of Westminster Palace. It is unmissable landmark and widely recognizable symbol of London and the UK in general. The tower has four clock faces one on each side of the tower, so passersbys can check the time from any location around it.
It was built in 19th century during the renovation effort of the old Palace of Westminster that was largely destroyed by fire in 1834. It was original designed by the architect Charles Barry but finalized by Augustus Pugin in neo-gothic style, similar to Scarisbrick Hall in Lancashire.
It is believed Big Ben was named after Sir Benjamin Hall, First Commissioner for Works, whose name is inscribed on the bell. Others claim that the bell was named after Ben Caunt, a champion heavyweight boxer.
Big Ben chimed for the first time on July 11, 1859 but it would not ring for long. That September, a crack caused it to fall silent for four years. It has since been quietened on other occasions. For seven weeks in 2007 its chimes were snuffed out so repairs could be made. It also fell silent during nine months of repairs in 1976.
Current renovation and restoration works are set to complete by 2022.
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Tours and trips including Big Ben
Interesting facts about Big Ben
Here are some interesting facts about this famous landmark:
- Bells chime every fifteen minutes (not during renovation).
- The hour hands are 9 feet long, the minute hands are 14 feet long.
- The clock mechanism was designed by Edmund Beckett Denison, who was not a clockmaker, but a lawyer.
Safe travels!
