What is the name of the tower that houses Big Ben?

the Elizabeth Tower
2007: Big Ben and the quarter bells are silenced from 11 August to 1 October while the Great Clock undergoes essential maintenance work. 2012: The Clock Tower is renamed the Elizabeth Tower to honour HM Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee.

What does it say under Big Ben?

The inscription beneath the dials reads ‘DOMINE SALVAM FAC REGINAM NOSTRAM VICTORIAM PRIMAM’ which means ‘Lord save our Queen Victoria I’.

What is the Big Ben clock called?

the Great Bell
The main bell, officially known as the Great Bell but better known as Big Ben, is the largest bell in the tower and part of the Great Clock of Westminster. It sounds an E-natural. The original bell was a 16 ton (16.3-tonne) hour bell, cast on 6 August 1856 in Stockton-on-Tees by John Warner & Sons.

What did they do to Big Ben?

Affectionately known around the world as Big Ben and shrouded in scaffolding since 2017, the Elizabeth Tower is being repaired from the gilt cross and orb at its tip, to the bottom of its 334-step staircase. This is the largest and most complex conservation project in the Tower’s history.

Why is the Big Ben so famous?

Big Ben, tower clock, famous for its accuracy and for its massive bell.

Is Big Ben a clock or bell?

Big Ben is a tower clock known for its accuracy and for its massive hour bell. Strictly speaking, the name refers only to the bell, which weighs 15.1 tons (13.7 metric tons), but it is commonly associated with the whole clock tower at the northern end of the Houses of Parliament, in the London borough of Westminster.

Was Big Ben bombed in WWII?

Among other problems, bomb damage inflicted on the tower during the Second World War had been found to be more extensive than first thought. Although the tower survived Nazi bombing, its roof and dials were damaged in a May 1941 air raid which destroyed the main House of Commons chamber.

Is Big Ben cracked?

But two months after Big Ben began to chime, it cracked. According to the Whitechapel Bell Foundry’s history of the incident, the damage occurred because Beckett had disregarded the advice of the bell’s caster and installed a hammer twice as heavy as was necessary to strike the hours.