
Another contends that it was named after Sir Benjamin Hall, a Welsh Civil Engineer who oversaw the construction. One popular account states that it was named after Benjamin Caunt, a heavyweight boxing champion.

Upon its completion, the clock was known around the world as both the largest and most accurate four-faced chiming clock on the planet. Pretty appearances aside, the clock featured on the tower is renowned for its precision and accuracy.Literally towering at a height of 96 meters, Big Ben features 334 steps for those willing to take the challenge of climbing from the ground floor to the belfry!.The tower was designed by the English architect Augustus Pugin and completed in 1859.Although Big Ben is commonly used to refer to the tower as a whole, the nickname actually refers directly to the clock tower’s largest bell, weighing a staggering 13.7 tons.In 2012, however, the official name was changed to Elizabeth Tower, marking the historic Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. While everyone knows this iconic landmark as Big Ben, the structure used to be known as “The Clock Tower”.

So, buy your bus tour tickets and hop off at stop 10 on the yellow route or stop 3 on the blue route to see first-hand the legendary clock tower! The Westminster Quarters is now the most popular tune for church bells and can be heard all over the country.A London icon built in honour of Queen Victoria, Big Ben has been ringing every fifteen minutes since the mid-19th century, keeping Londoners punctual to this day! Read on and become a Big Ben expert.īig Ben is easily accessible off our main routes. Where else can you hear the Westminster chimes? With the clock face recently emerging from the tower’s scaffolding which has encased the famous landmark for the last few years, Londoners were excited to hear Big Ben’s bell chime again as a new year began in 2022.Īt midnight on New Year's Day, the bell was struck 12 times using a temporary drive mechanism, which replicates the chime created by the original Victorian mechanism which drops a hammer on the bell ever 4.5 seconds.īig Ben and the four quarter bells are set to resume sounding the famous daily ‘Westminster Quarters’ melody and resonant bongs using the original mechanism in Spring 2022. Why did Big Ben ‘bong’ on New Year’s Day?
