Big Ben is the name attributed to the iconic bell tower of the Houses of Parliament. It is a symbol of London all over the world, but do you know the origins of Big Ben? If you’ve ever wondered when Big Ben was built, it’s best to read on to discover the history of London’s most famous landmark.
Big Ben has been telling Londoners the time since the mid-19th century and has been undergoing urgent maintenance for some time, which has resulted in Big Ben’s bells falling silent. The work includes repairing the clock as well as the structure of the tower, and while the entire project is expected to take four years, the bells will still ring at special events. As work begins to restore the beloved landmark, I thought it was time to ask: When was Big Ben built?
The origins of London’s Big Ben
Big Ben – the name of the large bell, not the actual clock – was installed in the clock tower of the Palace of Westminster in 1859. It has been Britain’s most famous bell ever since.
Its iconic chimes were first recorded by the BBC on New Year’s Eve in 1923 and are now recorded live by the BBC twice a day, every day, at 6pm and midnight.
Equally famous is the clock itself, with its four huge cast-iron dials. It dominates the Westminster skyline and the Houses of Parliament, and is one of London’s most famous monuments. Its path to national treasure status, however, was not an easy one.
The original designs by architect Charles Barry to replace the old Palace of Westminster after the fire disaster of 1834 did not even include a clock tower. The design for the current tower, known as Elizabeth Tower in honor of HM the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee since 2012, was added several years later with the help of fellow architect Augustus Pugin.
After Barry designed a clock tower, he faced the challenge of finding a clockmaker capable of making a clock large enough to fit inside his elegant new creation. The problem was compounded because one of the specifications for the new watch was that “it should be so accurate that the first beat of each hour should be to within one second.” This was considered impossible and it was only after a seven-year delay that an amateur watchmaker, Edmund Beckett Denison, developed such a design. His clock was completed in 1854 at a cost of £2,500.
Largest bell of its time
In addition to a working clock, the new tower also needed a set of bells. These included four small bells to strike the quarter hours and one large bell to sound the hour; each bell makes a different note and together they sound the famous Westminster Chimes; but making and hanging the main bell was as much a challenge as making the clock.
The original bell weighed an incredible 16 tons and was cast by Warners of Norton. It was temporarily hung in the New Palace Yard, but when it was tested in October 1857, an alarming 6-foot crack occurred. All involved blamed each other, and the foundry accused Denison of insisting on a hammer too large for the bell.
The Whitechapel Foundry
Eventually the bell was broken and a lighter bell was recast by the Whitechapel Foundry. It was soon affectionately called Big Ben, possibly taking its name from Sir Benjamin Hall, the First Commissioner of Works at the time.
The next task for Denison was to install the bell. Problems arose when it became apparent that the bell was too large to be hoisted up the tower, as it was wider than it was tall.
Fortunately, someone had the bright idea to put it on its side, and on July 11, 1859, Big Ben struck the hour for the first time. But that didn’t solve the problems: Within three months, this second bell cracked as well.
Given that the clock was installed under the belfry and the cracked bell could not be removed without dismantling the entire clock, it seemed that a dead end had been reached. It was not until four years later that Sir George Airy, the Astronomer Royal, emerged with a solution: the bell was rotated a quarter turn (so that the hammer would strike in a different place) and the original hammer was replaced with a lighter version.
Big Ben – what do the essential works include?
The current conservation program will ensure that the bell continues to ring as reliably in the future. The clock has not been overhauled in 30 years, although the dial is cleaned every few years by a hardy team of abseilers and the hands, mechanism and pendulum need immediate attention.
There are also cracks in the tower masonry and problems from erosion, rusting metalwork and water damage. The entire tower has been scaffolded, but a clock face is always visible and it is hoped that the bells will still ring during important events. The work will take up to three years, but as Steve Jaggs, Keeper of the Great Clock, says, “This project will allow us to give one of Britain’s most famous landmarks all the TLC (tender loving care) it deserves.”