114 steps up inside the tower is the Prison Room, but you don't need to worry about being locked up there yourself. The prison room was used for MPs who breached codes of conduct, but it hasn't been used since 1880.
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Inside the Elizabeth Tower: A total of 399 winding steps connect eleven floors, a clock mechanism room, the clock itself, and the belfry containing the famous 'Big Ben' bell.
But just how loud is Big Ben, and is the decision to protect hearing worth silencing the famous, historic landmark? At close proximity, the sound of Big Ben measures 118 decibels, which is loud enough to cause physical pain.
Big Ben Opening Hours and TicketsBig Ben has been undergoing restoration work since 2017, the biggest conservation project in its history. Currently, it remains temporarily closed to visitors and plans to reopen in 2023. The Great Bell (nicknamed Big Ben) has just been repaired.
The going train, which is powered by a half-ton weight, is wound manually with a giant handle, while the chiming and striking chains, powered by 1.25-ton and ton weights respectively, are hauled up the tower using an electric motor.
The moniker Big Ben has been in use for over 150 years, and the nickname was originally applied only to the enormous bell inside the tower. The Great Bell received i's sobriquet in honor of Sir Benjamin Hall, the First Commissioner for Works, who raised Big Ben to its current place atop the tower.