12 November 2010
About 6 months ago, I contacted my local MP office and got ourselves a tour but not before going through lots of hiccups in the process. I have expected that and therefore book the tour as soon as I knew about it. We found ourselves at the Portcullis House in the morning and soon we were whisked off to the clock tower.
Even though there are 334 steps to the top, the guide split it into 3 parts so that you can pause and catch your breath. I would think almost any healthy person should be able to do it. The steps are wide and for me the stairwell is actually quite spacious. Much better than some of the towers or monuments I have been to. There are some rooms built into the clock tower and during the 2 breaks, you are brought into these rooms and the guide will talk about the history and the mechanics behind the whole system. 5 minutes before the hour, you will be brought to the top platform to witness Big Ben being struck. The four smaller bells are being struck first and then finally the Big Ben. You can feel the vibrations travelling through the beams and pillars!
Big Ben and the Clock Tower
Sadly no photography is allowed during this tour but enjoy some quick facts about Big Ben and the clock tower below:
• Big Ben is actually the nickname for the bell, and not the building.
• Big Ben began striking on 11 July 1859.
• The clock tower is 96m high.
• Big Ben has a diameter of 2.7m and a height of 2.2m, weighing 13.7 tonnes. The four quarter bells weigh between 1 and 4 tonnes each. A 200kg hammer strikes Big Ben.
• Big Ben is note E natural while the four quarter bells are G sharp, F sharp, E and B.
• The time is kept using a pendulum that beats every 2 seconds. It is 4.4 m long and the bob weighs 203kg.
• To keep the time accurate, pennys are being added to a shelf on the pendulum. Adding a penny makes the clock gains two-fifths of a second in 24 hours.
Globe Nomads review ratings: 5
It’s free and the tour is awesome! I can’t ask for anything more. If you are a resident of UK and live near, I strongly recommend you to go.
(please refer to ratings explanation)
Visitor Information:
See http://www.parliament.uk/visiting/visiting-and-tours/bigben/ for more information and also on how to book the tour.
View Globe Nomads Travel Blog in a larger map
Big Ben Clock Tower Tour report and other Fast Facts
12 November 2010
About 6 months ago, I contacted my local MP office and got ourselves a tour but not before going through lots of hiccups in the process. I have expected that and therefore book the tour as soon as I knew about it. We found ourselves at the Portcullis House in the morning and soon we were whisked off to the clock tower.
Even though there are 334 steps to the top, the guide split it into 3 parts so that you can pause and catch your breath. I would think almost any healthy person should be able to do it. The steps are wide and for me the stairwell is actually quite spacious. Much better than some of the towers or monuments I have been to. There are some rooms built into the clock tower and during the 2 breaks, you are brought into these rooms and the guide will talk about the history and the mechanics behind the whole system. 5 minutes before the hour, you will be brought to the top platform to witness Big Ben being struck. The four smaller bells are being struck first and then finally the Big Ben. You can feel the vibrations travelling through the beams and pillars!
Big Ben and the Clock Tower
Sadly no photography is allowed during this tour but enjoy some quick facts about Big Ben and the clock tower below:
• Big Ben is actually the nickname for the bell, and not the building.
• Big Ben began striking on 11 July 1859.
• The clock tower is 96m high.
• Big Ben has a diameter of 2.7m and a height of 2.2m, weighing 13.7 tonnes. The four quarter bells weigh between 1 and 4 tonnes each. A 200kg hammer strikes Big Ben.
• Big Ben is note E natural while the four quarter bells are G sharp, F sharp, E and B.
• The time is kept using a pendulum that beats every 2 seconds. It is 4.4 m long and the bob weighs 203kg.
• To keep the time accurate, pennys are being added to a shelf on the pendulum. Adding a penny makes the clock gains two-fifths of a second in 24 hours.
Globe Nomads review ratings: 5
It’s free and the tour is awesome! I can’t ask for anything more. If you are a resident of UK and live near, I strongly recommend you to go.
(please refer to ratings explanation)
Visitor Information:
See http://www.parliament.uk/visiting/visiting-and-tours/bigben/ for more information and also on how to book the tour.
View Globe Nomads Travel Blog in a larger map