Big Ben

The clock tower was built in Westminster in 1288 and looked completely different at the time. In 1834, a huge fire occurred at the Palace of Westminster, destroying everything. Its restoration was undertaken by Charles Barry, together with architect Augustus Welby Pugin, who designed the current clock tower in the Gothic Revival style. In 1859, when Big Ben was built, the clock was started and has been accurately keeping time ever since. There are two popular theories about who the London clock was named after. The first is that the tower was named after Benjamin Hall, who oversaw its construction and was a man of considerable size, often called Big Ben. Another theory suggests the name comes from the popular heavyweight boxer Benjamin Caunt.

The Elizabeth Tower is built in the Gothic Revival style. The landmark is 96 meters tall. The clock face is located 55 meters above ground level. Inside the tower, 292 steps lead to the clock face, and to reach Big Ben, the large bell, one must climb 334 steps. Another 65 steps lead to the Ayrton Light. The tower has no lifts or elevators, so it is closed to the public.

The tower is square, each side measuring 12.2 meters. Clock faces are located on each of the four sides. Above them are shields bearing the symbols of all four countries of the United Kingdom - the rose of England, the thistle of Scotland, the clover of Ireland, and the leek of Wales.

The clock on Big Ben in London remains the largest in the world to this day. The clock face diameter is 7 meters. The hands are 2.7 and 4.2 meters long. The clock mechanism is considered a benchmark of reliability, weighing a total of 5 tons. Its assembly was overseen by clockmaker Edward John Dent, who completed the work in 1854. The clock is so reliable that even during World War II, when German bombings damaged two clock faces and the tower's roof, it did not stop.

Master Edmund Beckett Denison used a fundamentally different clock winding mechanism, separating the clock face and the pendulum. Even when the clock starts to lag, it is quickly "repaired" with a simple coin. Placed on the pendulum, the coin reliably accelerates the clock's pace by exactly 2.5 seconds per day.

At the bottom of each clock face is the inscription "God Save Our Queen Victoria".

The sound of the main bell, named Big Ben, can only be heard once an hour, when the bell strikes the hour. At 15, 30, and 45 minutes past the hour, other bells play.

Now, if a white light is burning atop the tower, it means Parliament is in session at that moment, and you can enter for free to listen to debates in both the House of Commons and the House of Lords.

At one time, Big Ben housed a prison for parliamentarians who misbehaved during sessions. The last prisoner was Emmeline Pankhurst, who fought for women's rights. A monument in her honor is located on Parliament Square, where Big Ben stands.