London's ''Big Ben''

Hello everybody!

Our topic today is something that I hope everybody is familiar with, London's "Big Ben".

Big Ben is one of London’s most famous landmarks. It is located in the center of the city. Big Ben is actually the name of the great bell of the clock, but it is mostly used to refer both to the clock and to the tower. Big Ben is the world’s largest chiming clock consisting of four faces. It is part of the Palace of Westminster and it is 316 feet high. Although the public is not allowed to get inside, there are great views from the nearby London eye. The tower was known as Clock Tower until 2012 when it was renamed as the Elizabeth Tower as it is now officially known.

Let's continue with some historical aspects of Big Ben. The clock tower was built between 1843 and 1858 when it was completed and had its 150th anniversary on 31 May 2009 which was widely celebrated. 

Sir Benjamin Hall

Benjamin Caunt

Big Ben was either named after the Commissioner of Works, Benjamin Hall, a man well-known for his large size or after a heavyweight boxing champion at that time, Benjamin Caunt, also known as “Big Ben”.






SOME INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT BIG BEN!

• The minute hand weighs approximately 220 pounds and it is over 12 feet long. The bell is over 7 feet tall and it has the weight of an elephant.
• There is still a crack in the bell from 1859 which could not have been repaired at that time.
• At the bottom of the four clock faces, we can read a Latin inscription written in gold letters saying “Domine Salvam Fac Reginam Nostrum Victoriam Primam” which means “O Lord, keep safe our Queen Victoria the First”.



Latin inscription

• The clock tower appears in dozens of movies and series, including Walt Disney’s Peter Pan, and Mary Poppins, Doctor Who and 28 Days Later. In Shanghai Knights and the 1978 version of The 19 Steps the hero appears hanging from the clock hands.

The Thirty-Nine Steps, 1978

Here, I added some worksheets you can do in you free time. They are categorized according to their level of difficulty.

~for Elementary Students~

~for Advanced Students~

Feel free to send me your answers by e-mail on vasiliki.achl@gmail.com or you can share them and exchange opinions in the comment section below.

For more information on the history of Big Ben, you can click on the following links:

Uk Parliament-Big Ben

Big Ben Facts

Or you can watch the following video which I found on youtube and highlights the main historical events that are related to Big Ben:

If you have any other comments, remarks or questions, feel free to leave your messages.

Thank you for reading, see you soon with another interesting aspect of the British culture.