Big Ben

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Guides : London,
Geographic : europe, united-kingdom, london,
Thematic : monument, tower,

If a fire did not destroyed the Parliament in 1834, maybe Big Ben would not exist. After the fire, hundreds of architects proposed many projects and the lucky winner, Charles Barry, integrated into his plan a gigantic clock conceived by the Astronomer Royal, Sir George Airey. Big Ben is the nickname of the bell who tolled for the first time in 1859 but no one really where the name comes from. The bell had to be transported by a cart drawn by 16 horses and took 18 hours to be hauled to the top of the belfry. The tower is 96 metre high and the famous 7 metre diameter and 5 ton bell needs a 200 kilogram hammer to be tolled. You must book a time slot and a guide to visit the tower, as for the Parliament's visit. The time slots are changing constantly, to be sure, visit the Parliament's website (see information).

Big Ben Informations:

Big Ben Address: 87-135 Brompton Road, London, United-Kingdom
See Big Ben on the map
Big Ben Phone Number: +44 (0)20 7219 3000
http://www.parliament.uk
Big Ben Opening time: Visit parliament web site


Big Ben Price: Free on reservation only