13.7 t
Big Ben is the name of the bell, not the tower or the clock.
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The short answer
Yes. Strictly speaking, Big Ben is the Great Bell in the tower at the Palace of Westminster. The tower itself was renamed Elizabeth Tower in 2012, though most people still call the whole thing Big Ben.
Why it's true
The Palace of Westminster was rebuilt after a fire in 1834, and its design included a tall clock tower with a great bell. The bell that rings out the hours, cast in 1858, quickly gained the nickname Big Ben. The four quarter bells, which play the famous chime, are separate and do not share the name.
Over time, people stretched the nickname to cover the clock and tower too, and that usage is now common. Officially, though, the tower was known as the Clock Tower until 2012, when it was renamed Elizabeth Tower to mark Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee.
Big Ben weighs about 13.7 tonnes and strikes the note E.
By the numbers
13.7 t
Weight of the Great Bell
1858
Current bell cast at Whitechapel
~96 m
Height of Elizabeth Tower
2012
Tower renamed Elizabeth Tower
The backstory
The bell had a troubled start. The first Great Bell, cast in 1856, cracked during testing and was broken up. The metal was recast at the Whitechapel Bell Foundry in 1858, producing the bell that hangs today. It first rang in 1859, but within months it cracked as well, partly because the hammer was too heavy.
Rather than replace it again, engineers turned the bell about an eighth of a turn so the hammer struck a fresh spot, and they fitted a lighter hammer. The crack is still there, which helps give Big Ben its distinctive tone. Nobody knows for sure where the name came from. Leading theories point to Sir Benjamin Hall, who oversaw the works, or to the heavyweight boxer Ben Caunt.
Bells and the nation
Big Ben has fallen silent only rarely, for repairs and on a few special occasions. During the Second World War the clock dials were dark to avoid guiding bombers, but the bell kept striking.
Its chime is sometimes used to mark moments of national importance, and its sound has become a shorthand for London in films and broadcasts.
Worth remembering
- Big Ben is the nickname of the Great Bell, not the tower.
- The tower was renamed Elizabeth Tower in 2012.
- The bell weighs about 13.7 tonnes and has a crack from 1859.
In context
Nicknames that spread to bigger objects are common. People call vacuum cleaners by brand names and use a famous building's nickname for a whole district. Big Ben is a classic case, where a bell's name grew to cover the tower that houses it, and then became a symbol of London and British politics.
The bell's sound is famous too. Its chimes have been broadcast by the BBC since 1923, and the sound is heard around the world on New Year's Eve and important national occasions.
Inside the tower, about 334 steps lead to the belfry. Tours for UK residents resumed after the restoration, letting visitors stand beside the Great Bell as it strikes the hour, an experience guides describe as deafening even with ear protection.
A closer look
Keeping time with pennies
The clock is famously accurate. Its timing is adjusted by adding or removing old penny coins on the pendulum, which changes its speed by tiny amounts.
Adding a single penny makes the clock gain about two fifths of a second a day.
The long restoration
From 2017 to 2022, Elizabeth Tower underwent a major restoration. The bells were mostly silent, apart from important occasions such as New Year and Remembrance Sunday.
Workers repaired stonework, restored the clock dials to their original Prussian blue and gold colours, and refurbished the mechanism.
The tower's designers
The tower was designed by Augustus Pugin as part of Charles Barry's rebuilt Palace of Westminster, in the Gothic Revival style.
It was Pugin's last major design before illness ended his career.
Related facts
More London history the Great Fire of London began in a bakery.
Another London landmark with a story the Monument's clever height.
Parliament at Westminster has some smelly history the Great Stink and Parliament.
Victorian London was full of firsts the London Underground began with steam trains.
Key terms
- Great Bell
- The official name of the largest bell in Elizabeth Tower, nicknamed Big Ben.
- Quarter bells
- Smaller bells that play the chime every fifteen minutes.
- Gothic Revival
- A nineteenth century style imitating medieval Gothic architecture.
Myth vs reality
Myth
Big Ben is the official name of the clock tower in London.
Reality
Big Ben is the bell's nickname. The tower is officially Elizabeth Tower.
People also ask
Is Big Ben the tower or the bell?
Strictly, it is the bell. The tower was the Clock Tower and has been officially called Elizabeth Tower since 2012, though Big Ben is commonly used for all of it.
How heavy is Big Ben?
The Great Bell weighs about 13.7 tonnes. It is the largest of the five bells in the tower.
Why is Big Ben cracked?
It cracked in 1859, soon after it started ringing, partly because its hammer was too heavy. It was turned and given a lighter hammer instead of being recast.
Who is Big Ben named after?
No one knows for sure. Popular theories name Sir Benjamin Hall, the commissioner of works, or Ben Caunt, a famous boxer of the time.
When was the tower renamed?
In 2012, to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee. It had previously been known simply as the Clock Tower.
