On 21 August 2017, a four-year schedule of renovation works began on the tower. The clock tower has been part of a Grade I listed building since 1970 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987. It is one of the most prominent symbols of the United Kingdom and parliamentary democracy, and it is often used in the establishing shot of films set in London. The tower is a British cultural icon recognised all over the world. The clock uses its original Victorian mechanism, but an electric motor can be used as a backup. Four quarter bells chime at 15, 30 and 45 minutes past the hour and just before Big Ben tolls on the hour. The origin of the bell's nickname is open to question it may be named after Sir Benjamin Hall, who oversaw its installation, or heavyweight boxing champion Benjamin Caunt. It was the largest bell in the United Kingdom for 23 years. īig Ben is the largest of the tower's five bells and weighs 13.5 long tons (13.7 tonnes 15.1 short tons ). On, celebrations were held to mark the tower's 150th anniversary. All four nations of the UK are represented on the tower on shields featuring a rose for England, thistle for Scotland, shamrock for Ireland, and leek for Wales. Dials of the clock are 22.5 feet (6.9 m) in diameter.

Its base is square, measuring 40 feet (12 m) on each side. The tower stands 316 feet (96 m) tall, and the climb from ground level to the belfry is 334 steps. When completed in 1859, its clock was the largest and most accurate four-faced striking and chiming clock in the world. Within the belfry (whose bells were first broadcast by the BBC in 1932) is a spiral with 334 steps with a total of 399 to the lantern (the Ayrton Light) and an elevator is also expected to be added during the current restoration work.The tower was designed by Augustus Pugin in a neo-Gothic style. The Elizabeth Tower is often mistakenly called Big Ben which is actually the name of the bell within the tower inscribed with the name of Sir Benjamin Hall, First Commissioner for Works after whom it is believed the bell takes it’s name. The tower was renamed the Elizabeth Tower in 2012 in honour of Queen Elizabeths jubilee and stands 96 meters tall housing 11 floors. There’s something strangely satisfying about looking behind the scenes of an iconic building and there are fewer buildings more famous than the Houses of Parliament and the iconic Clock Tower.

Download elizabeth clock tower