Big Ben is the largest of the tower's five bells and weighs 13.5 long tons (13.7 tonnes; 15.1 short tons).
It was the largest bell in the United Kingdom for 23 years. The origin of the bell's nickname is open to question; it may be named after Sir Benjamin Hall, who oversaw its installation, or heavyweight boxing champion Benjamin Caunt. Four quarter bells chime at 15, 30, and 45 minutes past the hour and just before Big Ben tolls on the hour. The clock uses its original Victorian mechanism, but an electric motor can be used as a backup.
Big Ben is the name commonly used to describe the tower, the clock, and the bell at this London landmark – but technically, refers only to the tower’s Great Bell – which London residents first heard chime on this day in 1859. Ordinarily, four-quarter bells chime at 15, 30, and 45 minutes past the hour and again just before Big Ben tolls on the hour. However, Big Ben is silent for today’s anniversary. It stopped tolling in 2017 to undergo significant renovations that are expected to last through 2021. Eager tourists can still visit the tower, which was renamed Elizabeth Tower in 2012 for
Queen Elizabeth’s’ Diamond Jubilee.
The Palace of Westminster serves as the meeting place for both the House
of Commons and the House of Lords, the two houses of the Parliament of
the United Kingdom. Informally known as the Houses of Parliament after
its occupants, the Palace lies on the north bank of the River Thames in
the City of Westminster, in central London, England.
Big Ben is the name of the clock tower of the Palace of Westminster, the tower was built after the old Palace of Westminster was destroyed by fire in 1834. It took 13 years to build the clock tower of the Palace of
Westminster. While the tower was completed in 1856.
On 21 August 2017, Big Ben's chimes were silenced for four years to allow essential restoration work to be carried out on the tower. The decision to silence the bells was made to protect the hearing of the workers on the tower and drew much criticism from senior MPs and the then Prime Minister Theresa May. The additional renovation work was not set to derail the completion of the project: Big Ben will resume it's usual striking and tolling in 2021.
The aim of the renovation is to repair and conserve Big Ben tower,
upgrading facilities as necessary, and ensuring the tower's integrity for future generations, The last significant renovation work to the tower was carried out in 1983–85. The 96-meter (315 ft) high structure is exposed to the elements, resulting in cracks and other damage to the masonry and rust damage to the ironwork.
The 2,567 cast-iron roof tiles will be removed and replaced, and a lift will be installed to make access easier, along with a basic washroom with running water. The
Ayrton Light at the top of Big Ben tower, which is lit when Parliament is sitting, will also be fully dismantled and restored with the other lights in the Belfry, the lights being replaced with low energy LEDs. The clock faces of Big Ben are also to be regilded, and the shields of St George area to be repainted in their original red and white colors. The 1,296 pieces of glass that make up the clock face are also to be removed and replaced.
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