“Through this hour, the Lord protects me, and His strength will not allow anyone to stumble.” Such words are called every hour by the famous London Big Ben with the help of several small bells, and its battle is broadcast by the famous BBC radio station to almost the whole world.
And for the first time the ringing of the legendary bell was broadcast on the radio in 1923 on December 31st. The very same history of the creation of Big Ben, this unique symbol of Great Britain, is very curious and begins back in 1844. The architect Charles Bury, who was involved in the construction of the Palace of Westminster, proposed building a very unusual clock on the nearby St. Stephen's Tower. One that would be the largest and most accurate of all those available at that time in the world, the ringing of which would be heard even in the most remote corners of London.
Parliament supported the idea, and the famous mechanic Benjamin Valliami initially took up the development of the project. Astronomer George Airy also became interested in the project. However, very soon serious disagreements arose between the mechanic and the astronomer. Airy believed that 1 second is the precision with which future clocks should strike their first strike every hour. And for control, he proposed to connect the designed clock using a telegraph with the observatory in Greenwich. According to Valyami, there was no need for such an accurate watch, and this idea was technically unfeasible. The debate dragged on for five long years. In the end, Valyami was defeated and his project was rejected.
The new project was developed by mechanic Dentom. The required accuracy was achieved, but the watch weighed as much as five tons. And the dimensions turned out to be impressive: the height of the clock bell exceeded 2 meters, the diameter was more than 3 meters, the length of the pendulum was 4 meters. The material for the four watch dials facing different directions of the world was Birmingham opal, the hour hands were made of cast iron, and the minute hands were made of copper. After the watch was installed, it was decided to replace the cast iron hour hands with hands made of a lighter alloy.
On May 31, 1859, the grand opening of the new clock took place. They were originally lit by gas jets, but in 1912 the lighting became electric. The accuracy of the clock for that time was simply amazing - the error was only 1.5 - 2 s per day. It is surprising that one of the simple watch keepers managed to solve the error problem. It turned out that by placing an old one-penny coin on the pendulum or removing it from it, you can easily adjust the accuracy of the entire mechanism. This unusual method is still used today.
It is not known for certain in whose honor the clock was named Big Ben. There are two versions. One - the watch is named after the boxer Benjamin Count, the other - after Benjamin Hall, who was the chairman of the parliamentary commission that adopted the watch. Both of these men were of very impressive size, and the nickname Big Ben suits both equally.
And for almost a century and a half Beg-Ben has been tirelessly beating the passage of time for the whole world. And every two days, a caretaker climbs 334 steps up the 96-meter-high tower, where the clock is located and where access to outsiders is prohibited, to take care of the complex mechanism of the clock, known to almost every inhabitant of our planet. It is no coincidence that the international time standard chose London Big Ben in order to herald the beginning of a new millennium on the night of December 31, 2000 to January 1, 2001.
Topic: Big Ben - the World Known London Landmark
Topic: Big Ben - the world famous landmark of London
What can be compared to an amazing famous masterpiece of true British architecture, the symbol of one of the most famous cities in our world, and, without any denial, the real emblem of the British way of life - Big Ben? This impressive clock tower has been counting the time of the Kingdom
What can compare to an amazing, famous masterpiece of true British architecture, a symbol of one of the most famous cities in the world and, without a doubt, a true icon of the British way of life - Big Ben? The imposing clock tower keeps track of the kingdom's time for more than one hundred and fifty years.
It should be mentioned that the modern official name of the clock tower of the Houses of Parliament is Elizabeth Tower and as it could be seen from the name the tower eternizes one of the greatest British monarchs - Elizabeth II to commemorate her Diamond Jubilee as the Queen of the UK. Prior to this name that the tower got in 2012 the famous landmark was called just the Clock Tower.
It is worth saying that the modern official name of the clock tower of the Houses of Parliament is the Elizabeth Tower, and as one can understand from this name, the tower immortalizes one of Britain's greatest monarchs - Elizabeth II, in honor of her Diamond Jubilee as Queen of the United Kingdom. Before this name, received in 2012, the famous symbol of the city was simply called the Clock Tower.
The story of Big Ben as we all know it started in 1859 when the Londoners first heard the sound of the great bell of the clock tower of the Houses of Parliament. In fact, Big Ben is the name of the huge hour bell inside the 96 meter tall tower which was raised according to the design of Augustus Pugin and became the high point of his architectural genius. But the landmark did not get the name of its architect. There are two main theories according to the name Big Ben - it could be the nickname of Sir Benjamin Hall, the commissioner of works on the Houses of Parliament, or Benjamin Caunt, the boxing champion of that time; both of them were large men and could have a nickname Big Ben. Nevertheless, this short name appeared to be perfect for the famous landmark.
The story of Big Ben as we all know it began in 1859, when Londoners first heard the sound of the great bell of the Houses of Parliament clock tower. In fact, Big Ben is the name of the huge clock bell inside the 96-meter tower, which was built according to the designs of Auguste Pugin and was the culmination of his architectural genius. But the landmark was not named after its architect. There are two main theories regarding the name Big Ben - it could have been the nickname of either Sir Benjamin Hall, the superintendent of works on the construction of the Government Buildings, or Benjamin Saunt, the great boxer of the time; both gentlemen were quite large in build and may have been nicknamed Big Ben. However, this short name was ideal for the famous landmark.
At the time of its appearance on the map of the city, the tower was a real wonder of its time with its massive14 ton bell inside, and the clock itself was the largest in the world. The impressive neo-gothic tower has four seven-meter clock dials on each side. Despite its impressive size, Big Ben is a perfect accurate timekeeper - a stack of coins on the big pendulum regulates the clock.
By the time it appeared on the city map, the tower with a massive 14-ton bell was a real miracle of its time, and its clock was the largest in the world. The impressive tower in neo-Gothic style has a clock face on each side with a diameter of 7 meters. Despite its impressive size, Big Ben is distinguished by exceptional accuracy in counting time - a stack of coins on a large pendulum regulates the clock.
Big Ben
Big Ben is a bell in the clock tower at the Palace of Westminster in London. There are two versions of the origin of the name of the tower. The first version says that Big Ben was named after Sir Benjamin Hall, who ran the casting of the bell. Another says that the heariest bell at the moment (13.7 tons) got its name after Benjamin County, a very famous boxer in the heavyweight division at the time.
Construction. The tower was built on the design of English architect Augustus Pugin in 1858. For the first time the clock was wound on May 21, 1859. Officially, the tower was named as "The Clock Tower of Westminster Palace".
Managing the Clock. When the clock on the tower rush or lag (the error is small - only 1.5-2 seconds) an old English penny is placed on the pendulum. Putting or a coin the superintendent manages to get the precision of the machinery. Now Big Ben is one of the most famous constructions of the UK.
[ translation ]
Big Ben
Big Ben is the bell in the clock tower in Westminster Square in London. There are two versions of the origin of the name of the tower. According to one version, Big Ben is named after Sir Benjamin Hall, who supervised the casting of the bell. Another says that the heaviest bell at that time (13.7 tons) was named after Benjamin Count, a very famous heavyweight boxer at that time.
Construction. The tower was built according to the design of the English architect Augustus Pugin in 1858. The clock was wound for the first time on May 21, 1859. The tower was officially named the "Clock Tower of the Palace of Westminster".
Clock management. When the clock on the tower is fast or late (the error is small - only 1.5 - 2 seconds), an old English penny is placed on the pendulum. By placing or removing a coin, the caretaker achieves the accuracy of the mechanism. Now Big Ben is one of the most famous buildings in Great Britain.
In English.
Big Ben .
Perhaps even small children know what a Big Ben is. Firstly, it’s the symbol of Great Britain and one of the most beautiful sights of London. Secondly, it’s the largest and the most famous clock in the world.
Originally, Big Ben is a tower. It’s one of the highest towers of Westminster Palace.The height of the tower, including the spire — 96.3 meters. Before the tower housed a prison. Only her prisoner in the history of suffragette Emmeline was Pankhurst.Officially, the clock has started its work on May 31, 1859. According to one of the theories the clock has been named Big Ben after Sir Benjamin Hall, who directed on the casting of the bell. Another theory claims that it has been named after Benjamin Caunt, who was one of the well-known heavyweight boxers of the 19th century. Big Ben has become a popular souvenir for tourists. Almost all visitors of London buy a small souvenir in the shape of the world-famous clock. Also Big Ben can be often seen in famous films and ads. Official name of the tower is the “Westminster Palace Clock Tower” or “St. Stephen's Tower". Big Ben is only the name of the clock itself along with the bell. The history of Big Ben dates back to 1288, when it was built for the first time on Ralph De Hengham’s money. He was the chairman of the Supreme Court of Queen's Bench. However, the contemporary tower of Big Ben was built according to Charles Barry's project in the 19th century, as the old building was destroyed due to the fire of 1834. Although Big Ben is very popular with spectators, no one is allowed inside of the tower . All the Londoners who live close to Big Ben can hear how the bell strikes thirteen at New Year’s Night.
Translating to Russian language.
Big Ben.
Perhaps even small children know what Big Ben is. Firstly, it is a symbol of Great Britain and one of the most beautiful sights in London. Secondly, this is the largest and most famous watch in the world. Initially, Big Ben is a tower. This is one of the tallest towers of the Palace of Westminster. The height of the tower, including the spire, is 96.3 meters. Previously, the tower housed a prison. Its only prisoner in history was the suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst. The clock officially began operating on May 31, 1859. According to one theory, the clock was named Big Ben in honor of Sir Benjamin Hall, who supervised the casting of the bell. Another theory states that he was named after Benjamin Count, who was one of the famous heavyweight boxers of the 19th century. Big Ben has become a popular souvenir for tourists. Almost all visitors to London want to buy a small souvenir in the form of a world famous watch. In addition, Big Ben can often be seen in famous films and advertisements. The official name of the tower is the Clock Tower of the Palace of Westminster or St. Stephen's Tower. Big Ben is only the name of the clock itself along with the bell. The history of Big Ben dates back to 1288, when it was first built with the money of Ralph de Hengham. He was Chief Justice of the Queen's Bench. However, the modern Big Ben tower was built to a design by Charles Barry in the 19th century, as the old building was destroyed by fire in 1834. Despite the fact that Big Ben is very popular among spectators, no one is allowed to go inside the tower. All Londoners who live near Big Ben can hear the bell ringing thirteen times on New Year's night.
A detailed description of Big Ben in London, its history, interesting facts, as well as colorful photographs are available in almost every tourist guide in the world, because it is truly a unique structure. To begin with, it should be noted that the clock tower, which is commonly called Big Ben, is not such. In fact, this name belongs to one of the 6 bells located in it.
History of creation
The first architectural structure on the site of present-day Big Ben was erected in 1288. The tower was located on the territory of the Palace of Westminster, but was not part of it. Construction was carried out by Ralph Hengham, who headed the panel of the Supreme Court at the royal court.
In the autumn of 1834, the surroundings of the Palace of Westminster were engulfed in a severe fire, unable to withstand which the old buildings were completely destroyed. The tower itself was severely burned and could not be restored. Restoration work began almost immediately. The architectural project, of which the tower of St. Stephen's Tower, also known as Queen Victoria's Tower, was designed by the architects Charles Berry and Augustus Pugin.
The tower was originally conceived as a clock tower. Its neo-Gothic style could not have been more compatible with the surrounding environment. The size of the structure is 98 meters high and another 15 meters deep. This is not the tallest building in modern London, but it is certainly one of the most famous and popular among tourists. In addition, miniature Big Ben towers are found in many places around the world, decorating park areas and attractions.
Name
There is no reliable information about why the bell that triggers the clock mechanism is named Big Ben in the surviving historical sources. The most likely version was the name of the bell in honor of Benjamin Hall, a rich and noble lord, whose speech regarding the choice of a suitable name for the new landmark allegedly prompted other lords to support the idea of naming the bell in his honor.
The lord was broad-shouldered, tall, and could compete in strength with the heaviest fighters, for which he was nicknamed Big Ben.
Phil Dolby/flickr.com
According to another version, Benjamin Hall is just a foreman who supervised the construction work and delivered Big Ben to London, which gave him the right to go down in history.
A less popular version is that the name of the bell is associated with the name of one of the then strongmen - Benjamin Count.
How does the clock work?
The Big Ben Clock Tower is square, with huge dials on each side, allowing everyone nearby, regardless of their location, to see the time shown. The clock is located at a height of 55 meters from the surface of the earth.
The dial consists of 312 individual elements smelted from glass opal, some parts of which can be freely removed, cleaned, or replaced with new ones. The edges of the watch are covered with steel; its mechanism was first started on May 21, 1859.
The development of the clock mechanism was in charge of Benjamin Valyami; later the project was transferred to another master, who, to better separate the pendulum and the clock mechanism, invented a double three-stage movement, which increased the weight of the clock to 5 tons. The master managed to place a pendulum weighing 300 kilograms and 3.9 meters long under the clock room.
The pendulum moves every 2 seconds, and is protected from the negative effects of its environment (rain, snow and wind) by a special box. To reduce the overall weight, the minute hand was cast from copper, and the hour hand from cast iron.
The Big Ben bell was cast in 1856. It weighed 16 tons and was delivered in a carriage with 16 heavy horses harnessed to it. The casting of the bell was carried out by a private company, which was no longer news in those days. After delivery to London, Big Ben's clock and the bell itself waited a long time for completion of construction.
After the first start of the clock, a crack appeared on the bell. Experts found that the cause of the breakdown was an overly heavy hammer. The bell was repaired, the hammer was replaced with a lighter one, but this did not help.
Ultimately, it was necessary to reduce the weight of the bell to 13.5 tons, but this did not help; the crack still appeared in the same place. Further reduction in his weight could cause hours of loss of volume. You could hear their fight from any part of London. To prevent this from happening, the bell was turned over to the other side and the crack was sealed.
No less pressing was the issue of watch accuracy; Benjamin Valyami believed that due to the complexity of the mechanism, it would not be possible to achieve sufficient accuracy. Royal astronomer George Airy managed to refute this statement. The scientist and the master argued for over 5 years, which resulted in the entrustment of the project to a certain E. Dent, who designed the clock mechanism with the required high degree of accuracy.
So that the time could be seen not only during the day, but also at night, the hands were illuminated using gas jets. With the advent of electricity, electric lamps replaced horns.
Camilla Carvalho/flickr.com
On December 31, 1923, the fight issued by Big Ben became available to radio listeners. From now on, the chimes sound at the beginning of every hour on all radio stations broadcasting programs in English.
Video: Big Ben, London.
There are many legends and myths around London's Big Ben, but there are also some more reliable and interesting facts. So, all Englishmen are well aware that:
- On each side of the tower, directly below the clock, there is an inscription in Latin meaning “God save our Queen Victoria.”
- The inscription “Praise the Lord” is engraved along the perimeter of the tower.
- The tower and the huge bell that crowned it became the last project in the architectural career of Augustus Pugin. Soon after the construction was completed, he went crazy and died, never regaining his sanity.
- Big Ben is the largest bell, with the help of which it was possible to make the clock beat the rhythm. At the same time, the tower itself is the only structure on which a four-sided clock is located, capable of not only showing the time, but also notifying the district about the arrival of each hour.
- The tower's location almost in the center of the Greenwich meridian allows Londoners to be the first in the world to change the clock from December 31 to January 1.
- During the war years, both World War I and World War II, the dial was darkened at night. Due to the security measures taken, the chimes were not struck for over 2 years.
- The watch broke down several times, the most significant breakdown occurred on August 5, 1976, the mechanism resumed operation only in May 1977.
- Since the tower was built without taking into account possible underground work in this area (meaning the laying of a metro line), its angle of inclination shifted by 2.2 centimeters.
- There is no free access to the tower; only British citizens who have received a special pass can visit it; tourists are forced to watch from the outside.
- There are 334 steps inside the building, which you can climb to view the outskirts of London from a height of 62 meters.
- To prevent the clock from falling behind, which began immediately after installing the heavy mechanism, a coin of 1 penny is placed on one of the hands (the coin slows down the movement of the pendulum by 0.4 seconds and speeds up its movement by 2.5 seconds per day).
- The annual path of Big Ben's minute hand is 190 kilometers.
- To verify the accuracy of the clock, a telegraph message was used, in addition, Big Ben was connected to the Greenwich Laboratory, which made it possible to obtain the most accurate information for reconciling clocks.
- During World War II, Big Ben was bombed, which had a significant impact on the operation of the mechanism and caused it to regularly lag.
- In 2012, the tower received a new name - “Elizabeth II Tower”. The renaming took place on the birthday of the Queen, beloved by all the English.
- Big Ben and the smaller bells surrounding it tap out a rhythm that forms a phrase from the Bible, the exact wording of which can be found in any reference book.
- The clock strikes down to the second, and the chimes continue throughout the first second of the hour.
- If there is a regular session in parliament, the tower is illuminated with additional floodlights.
- For some time, the clock tower was a place of detention for disobedient parliamentarians.
- The length of the minute hands is 4.2 meters, the length of the hour hands is 2.7 meters.
- The watch mechanism is checked regularly to ensure the exact time. Usually, reconciliation occurs at least once every 2 days; one of the watchmakers was almost fired from his honorary position after receiving news that the chimes were significantly behind by at least 10 minutes.
- The British call copies of Big Ben Little Bens; the most famous one is installed at Victoria Station.
The special design of the bell and clock mechanism makes the sound that the Big Ben clock makes in London unique. To admire and listen to them, just ask a London taxi driver to take you to Parliament Square or take the tube and get off at Westminster station. You definitely won’t be able to miss such a magnificent structure; the tower is visible from almost all corners of London.
Hernan Pinera/flickr.com
Unfortunately, as mentioned above, tourists cannot admire the bell itself, but they have a chance to see an equally outstanding structure, which is located on one of the towers of St. Paul's Cathedral. The bell, cast for this cathedral in 1881, weighs about 17 tons.