🩷Big Ben🩷History
Did you know that Big Ben is not the name of the tower, but the bell inside it? The tower was renamed Elizabeth Tower in 2012 to celebrate the Queen's jubilee.
It's a pretty tall tower, over 96 metres high. If you want to see the bell, you have to climb a lot of stairs: 334 to reach the belfry and 399 to get to the top. There's a light on top of the tower called the Ayrton Light, which turns on when the House of Lords or the House of Commons is sitting after dark.
You can see it from all over London. It used to point towards Buckingham Palace, so the Queen could keep an eye on the politicians!
Art
The tower was designed by Augustus Pugin in a Perpendicular Gothic Revival style.
Above the belfry and Ayrton light there are 52 shields with many different features that symbolize the history of the United Kingdom:
the national emblems of the four countries of the UK: the red and white rose of England's Tudor dynasty, the thistle of Scotland, shamrock of Northern Ireland, and leek of Wales, the pomegranate of Catherine of Aragon, first wife of the Tudor king Henry VIII, the portcullis, symbolising both Houses of Parliament and last but not least, the fleurs-de-lis, legacy from when English monarchs claimed to rule France.
On the clock itself, the dials are surrounded by a gilded ornament. At the base of each dial there is a Latin inscription to Queen Victoria: DOMINE SALVAM FAC REGINAM NOSTRAM VICTORIAM PRIMAM, which means "O Lord, keep safe our Queen Victoria the First".
Above the belfry and Ayrton light there are 52 shields with many different features that symbolize the history of the United Kingdom:
the national emblems of the four countries of the UK: the red and white rose of England's Tudor dynasty, the thistle of Scotland, shamrock of Northern Ireland, and leek of Wales, the pomegranate of Catherine of Aragon, first wife of the Tudor king Henry VIII, the portcullis, symbolising both Houses of Parliament and last but not least, the fleurs-de-lis, legacy from when English monarchs claimed to rule France.
On the clock itself, the dials are surrounded by a gilded ornament. At the base of each dial there is a Latin inscription to Queen Victoria: DOMINE SALVAM FAC REGINAM NOSTRAM VICTORIAM PRIMAM, which means "O Lord, keep safe our Queen Victoria the First".
Fun Facts
Big Ben is more than 96 metres (105yrds) high and has a clock on each of its four sides. To reach the Belfry, where the bells are located, you need to climb 334 steps. To go even higher, to the Ayrton Light, you need to climb 399 steps in total.
Big Ben is usually very accurate, but sometimes it has had some problems. For example, one time a group of starlings landed on the clock's big hand and slowed it down. Another time, on 31 December 1962, snow and ice had accumulated on the big hand and Big Ben was ten minutes late to ring in the new year. Many people in London were unhappy about that.
Big Ben's chimes have been broadcast by the BBC since 31 December 1923. They are also known as "The Bongs" by ITN. You can still hear them on BBC Radio 4 and the BBC World Service before some news bulletins. The sound of the chimes is recorded live from a microphone that is always installed in the tower.
Big Ben is usually very accurate, but sometimes it has had some problems. For example, one time a group of starlings landed on the clock's big hand and slowed it down. Another time, on 31 December 1962, snow and ice had accumulated on the big hand and Big Ben was ten minutes late to ring in the new year. Many people in London were unhappy about that.
Big Ben's chimes have been broadcast by the BBC since 31 December 1923. They are also known as "The Bongs" by ITN. You can still hear them on BBC Radio 4 and the BBC World Service before some news bulletins. The sound of the chimes is recorded live from a microphone that is always installed in the tower.