Big Ben

The Name Game: A Common Misconception

Before we dive into the limestone and iron, let’s clear up the most famous trivia in London. Most visitors point to the tower and exclaim, "There’s Big Ben!" Technically, they are looking at the Elizabeth Tower.

• The Elizabeth Tower: The physical stone structure. It was known simply as the "Clock Tower" until 2012, when it was renamed to honor the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II.

• The Great Clock: The mechanical masterpiece inside that keeps the city on time.

• Big Ben: This is specifically the Great Bell—the 13.7-tonne behemoth that strikes the hour.

The origin of the nickname "Big Ben" remains a subject of friendly debate. The most likely candidate is Sir Benjamin Hall, the First Commissioner of Works, a man of large stature whose name is inscribed on the bell. Others credit Benjamin Caunt, a champion heavyweight boxer of the era. Regardless of its namesake, the name "Big Ben" has transcended the bell to become the global identity of the entire landmark.

A Masterpiece of Gothic Revival

To understand the tower, one must understand the era of its birth. In 1834, a catastrophic fire destroyed much of the old Palace of Westminster. In the aftermath, a competition was held to design a new seat of government. The winner, Charles Barry, envisioned a grand neo-Gothic palace, but he sought the expertise of Augustus Pugin for the clock tower’s intricate details.

Pugin was a pioneer of the Gothic Revival movement, and the Elizabeth Tower was his final—and perhaps greatest—work. He designed everything from the ornate golden finials at the peak to the smallest decorative shields. Sadly, Pugin descended into madness and died shortly after completing the designs, never seeing his masterpiece finished.

The Architecture in Numbers:

• Height: 96 meters (315 feet), roughly 11 stories.

• Materials: Built with Brickwork encased in sandy-colored Anston limestone from Yorkshire and Caen stone from France.

• The Roof: Made of 3,000 cast-iron plates, which were recently restored to their original Prussian Blue and gold color scheme.

The Great Clock: Precision in Motion

The clock inside the tower is a marvel of Victorian "low-tech" genius. Designed by Edmund Beckett Denison and Edward Dent, the mechanism was revolutionary for its time.

The Gravity Escapement

Before this clock, large outdoor timepieces were notoriously inaccurate due to wind and weather pushing against the heavy hands. Denison invented the "Double Three-Legged Gravity Escapement," a mechanism that isolated the pendulum from the external forces of the wind, ensuring the clock remained accurate to within one second per week.

The "Penny" Adjustment

How do you fine-tune a 160-year-old clock? With pocket change. To this day, the clock’s speed is adjusted by adding or removing old British penny coins from the top of the pendulum. Adding a penny shifts the center of gravity and speeds up the clock by two-fifths of a second over 24 hours.

The Bells: The Soundtrack of the Capital

Inside the belfry sit five bells. The four "quarter bells" chime the famous Westminster Quarters every fifteen minutes—a melody said to be based on a phrase from Handel’s Messiah.

Then, there is the hour bell: Big Ben. When the bell was first cast, it cracked during testing. A second bell was cast, but it too developed a crack. Instead of replacing it again, engineers simply rotated the bell 90 degrees so the hammer hit a different spot, and a small square was cut into the crack to prevent it from spreading. This "imperfection" is exactly what gives Big Ben its unique, slightly out-of-tune, and hauntingly beautiful tone.

The Light in the Dark: The Ayrton Light

If you are wandering London at night, look at the very top of the tower, above the clock faces. You might see a green-tinged lantern glowing. This is the Ayrton Light, installed in 1885 at the request of Queen Victoria. She wanted to be able to see from Buckingham Palace whether the Members of Parliament were working late. If the light is on, the House of Commons or the House of Lords is in session.

The 2017–2022 Restoration: A New Lease on Life

For five long years, Big Ben was shrouded in scaffolding. It was the most extensive conservation project in the tower's history. Craftsmen cleaned thousands of stone carvings, replaced the iron roof, and, most strikingly, restored the clock hands and dials to their original Victorian Prussian Blue. For decades, Londoners thought the clock was black and gold, but that was merely a result of 20th-century smog and soot. Today, the tower shines as it did in 1859.

The Explorer’s Itinerary: How to Visit

Viewing from the Outside

For the best perspective, don't just stand directly underneath it.

• The "Insta-Classic": Walk to the south side of Westminster Bridge. From here, you get the river, the tower, and the bridge in one frame.

• The Quiet View: Head to the Victoria Tower Gardens just south of Parliament. It’s a peaceful spot where you can see the full length of the Palace of Westminster without the crowds of Parliament Square.

Going Inside (The Holy Grail of Tours)

Can you go up? Yes, but it requires planning.

• UK Residents: You can contact your local MP to join a free tour. These are highly sought after and often book up six months in advance.

• International Visitors: Tickets are now sold to the general public via the UK Parliament website. They are released in monthly "drops" and sell out in minutes.

• The Climb: There is no lift. You must be able to climb 334 stone steps in a narrow spiral. It is physically demanding but seeing the mechanism and the bells from inches away is a life-changing experience for any history buff.

Essential Information for Your Visit

• Address: Westminster, London SW1A 0AA.

• Nearest Tube: Westminster Station (District, Circle, and Jubilee Lines).

• Proximity: Combine your visit with the London Eye (just across the bridge) or Westminster Abbey (a 2-minute walk away).

• Best Time to Visit: Arrive at 11:55 AM. Secure a spot on the bridge and wait for the "Big 12" strikes at noon. It is a sensory experience that resonates in your chest.

Final Insight

Big Ben is more than a clock; it is the heartbeat of London. It has survived the Blitz, the Great Smog, and the modernization of the world around it. When you stand in its shadow and hear that first deep chime, you aren't just looking at a monument—you are hearing the voice of a city that refuses to stand still.

At Explorers Insight, we believe every landmark has a secret. What’s your favorite London memory? Tag us in your photos of the Elizabeth Tower and use #ExplorersInsightLondon!