Its famous bongs will not be heard in the centre of London as restoration work sees the bell gagged for four years.Īnd, as Whovians may know, Big Ben (or “Elizabeth Tower” to give it its proper name – “Big Ben” is actually the name of the bell itself), has made numerous appearances in Doctor Who since the Sixties. The faces light up at night, too!īig Ben and Elizabeth Tower are two of many London landmarks that survived bombings during the World Wars.Perhaps the most iconic clock in the world, Big Ben is about to be silenced. The faces are 23 feet, or 7 meters, in diameter each. The clock faces and hands themselves are huge! The hour hands are over 9 feet in length (just short of three meters), while the minute hands are 14 feet in length (over 4 meters). Ever wondered about the size of the faces? There are 11 different floors leading up the tower. These chime at E, B, F-Sharp and G-Sharp. The main bell chimes at a tone of E, while there are also smaller, quarter bells in the tower. There are specific tones to the bell chiming. The renovations at the tower will, believe it or not, bring toilet facilities to Big Ben for the very first time.ġ0. It’s around 20 feet or 6 meters tall, which means it’s still a towering structure in its own right! 9. There’s a smaller version of the tower elsewhere in London.īig Ben has a little brother in Little Ben, a replica of the tower found elsewhere in the city. In fact, the bell is thought to begin its chimes once again from 2021 onwards.īig Ben hasn’t been silent before then since 2007, which, again, was for maintenance and repair reasons. This is due to ongoing construction work, which is due to complete soon. The construction of Elizabeth Tower faced a few delays but was eventually completed in 1859.īig Ben has in fact been silent since summer 2017. The tower itself stands a staggering 315 feet tall (96 meters). In fact, the clock is famously accurate within a second – though again, various issues may have offset this over the years! 5. In fact, a cold snap once caused the bell to chime late! This is mainly down to weather, such as through extreme heat and deep freezes.

The clock is said to be accurate at all times, but it’s actually suffered a couple of hiccups over the years. The bell weighs just less than 14 tons and is 7.2 feet, or 2.2 meters tall. The bell’s original name was going to be Royal Victoria – but the nickname stuck! It’s thought to come from Sir Benjamin Hall, whose name is found on the bell itself. The bell had a very different name, initially. The clock tower itself is actually known as Elizabeth Tower, earning its name during the Queen’s 2012 Jubilee. Big Ben isn’t even the structure’s name.īig Ben isn’t the name of the clock, or the tower – it’s the name of the famous bell inside the structure. Here are 13 fun facts about Big Ben, the bell, the clock and the history. However, while the tower has been a staple of the London skyline for hundreds of years, it is still a fairly mysterious structure! There is actually more to the tower than we give it credit. When you think of London, you likely think of the clock tower that stands proudly next to the Houses of Parliament! Big Ben Tower is one of the UK’s most recognizable landmarks.

History about big ben