How Tall Is Big Ben?

How Tall Is Big Ben? The short answer is that Big Ben is 96 meters tall, but the “long” answer is a little more complicated.

Big Ben’s History

Big Ben is the nickname for the Great Bell of theclock at the north end of the Palace of Westminster in London. It is the largest four-faced clock and the third-tallest free-standing clock tower in the world. It celebrated its 150th anniversary on 31 May 2009.

Big Ben’s original name

Big Ben is the name of the Great Bell of the clock at the north end of the Palace of Westminster in London, and often extended to refer to both the clock and the clock tower. The official name of the tower in which Big Ben is located was originally St Stephen’s Tower, but it was renamed Elizabeth Tower in 2012 to mark the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II.

When completed in 1859, its height was 320 feet (97.5 m), making it one of the tallestever freely-standing clocks towers. A taller structure – the 311-foot (95 m) tower houses Manchester Town Hall’s clock – was completed around 15 years later, but that building incorporates a substantial portion of art gallery and office space within its height.

The original Big Ben bell was cast on 10 April 1858 by Warner’s Foundry, Stockton-on-Tees in England at a cost of £2,400 (equivalent to about £300,000 in 2019). It first chimed on 31 May 1859.

When Big Ben was built

Big Ben is the nickname for the Great Bell of the clock at the north end of the Palace of Westminster in London, and is often extended to refer to both the clock and the clock tower. The official name of the tower in which Big Ben is located was originally the Clock Tower, but it was renamed Elizabeth Tower in 2012 to mark the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II.

The tower was designed by Augustus Pugin in a Gothic Revival style. Its frame is clad in cast iron, and brickwork. The tower is 96.3 m (316 ft) high, and contains eleven floors.

Who built Big Ben

Big Ben is the nickname for the Great Bell of the clock at the north end of the Palace of Westminster in London, and often extended to refer to both the clock and the clock tower as well. The official name of the tower in which Big Ben is located was originally simply “Clock Tower”, but it was renamed Elizabeth Tower in 2012 to mark the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II.
The tower was designed by Augustus Pugin in a Gothic Revival style. When completed in 1859, its height was 96.3 metres (316 feet), making it one of the tallest structures in London at that time
The Charles Barry-designed Palace of Westminster which contains Big Ben had suffered major fire damage in 1834. Barry’s original design for a Clock Tower to replace an earlier one damaged by lightning, was deemed too expensive; Pugin’s design – a simple cone surmounted by a cast iron spire – was therefore accepted instead. For some years before this latest fire, there had been proposals to build a new clock tower; these proposals were prompted by various problems with the existing Palace and its Clock Tower, including cracks, metal fatigue due to thermal expansion from heat caused by sunlight reflecting off nearby buildings, and leaking water from cannonballs fired during Lord Nelson’s funeral procession in January 1806 ( damaging three of Big Ben’s dials).

How Tall Is Big Ben?

The answer to this question may surprise you. Big Ben is only 96.3 metres tall!

The height of Big Ben’s clock tower

At 96.3 metres (316 feet), Big Ben is the tallest four-faced clock tower in the world. The tower was completed in 1858 and contains five bells that chime on the hour.

The height of Big Ben’s Elizabeth Tower

Big Ben is the nickname for the Great Bell of the clock at the north end of the Palace of Westminster in London, and often extended to refer to both the clock and the clock tower. The official name of the tower in which Big Ben is housed was originally The Clock Tower, but it was renamed Elizabeth Tower in 2012 to mark the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II.

At 96.3 metres (316 feet), the Elizabeth Tower is currently the tallest free-standing clock tower in the world. When completed in 1859, its height was 98.5 metres (323 feet), making it both taller and heavier than St Paul’s Cathedral which towers over it by just 2.1 metres (6 feet 11 inches). However, St Paul’s is still taller when measured from ground level to its highest point.

How To Get To Big Ben

Big Ben is actually the name of the bell inside the clock tower of the Houses of Parliament in London. The tower itself is just called Elizabeth Tower, named after England’s Queen Elizabeth II. It’s one of the most famous landmarks in the world.

The best way to get to Big Ben

The best way to get to Big Ben is by public transport. The London Underground network runs close to the Houses of Parliament and Westminster station is the closest station to Big Ben.

If you’re coming from central London, the journey from Oxford Circus to Westminster will take around 10 minutes. Once you arrive at Westminster station, follow the signs for exit 3 and you’ll find yourself on Parliament Square. From there, it’s a short walk to Big Ben.

The nearest tube station to Big Ben

The nearest tube station to Big Ben is Westminster. You can reach this station by taking the Jubilee, District or Circle line on the London Underground. Once you arrive at Westminster, follow the signs for ‘Westminster Palace’ and then ‘Big Ben’. The walk from the tube station should take no more than 10 minutes.