Jump to content

Big Ben

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Deb (talk | contribs) at 01:47, 25 May 2002 (*spelling correction). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Big Ben is the name given to the main bell hanging in the clock tower of the Palace of Westminster, the home of the Houses of Parliament in the United Kingdom. It is commonly taken to be the name of the clock tower itself, but this is incorrect. The name "Ben" comes from Benjamin Hall, the civil engineer who ordered the bell cast.

The bell weighs 13.8 tonnes (13 tons 10cwt 99lb), with a hammer weighing 203.2kg (4cwt), and is tuned to E. It has a delay of 5 seconds between strikes. The clock tower contains four additional bells (known as the Quarter Bells).

Big Ben is a focus of New Year celebrations in the UK, with radio and TV stations tuning to its chimes to welcome the 'official' start of the year.

The clock on the tower is famous for its reliability. This is due to its designer, the lawyer and amateur horologist Edward Beckett, Lord Grimthorpe.


Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Big_Ben&oldid=140869"