Is Big Ben still down?

After 5 years, the bells of the Elizabeth Tower have returned to regular service. Visitors to Westminster are now able to hear Big Ben striking the hour, with the quarter bells sounding every 15 minutes. The bells returned to service after 4 days of tests prior to Remembrance Sunday on the 13th November 2022.



People Also Ask

Visitors will be able to book a maximum of eight tickets per person, depending on availability. The Big Ben tour is not suitable for everyone. Visitors must be aged 11 and over and be comfortable climbing 334 steps and experiencing high noise levels from the clock mechanism and bells - earplugs will be provided.

MORE DETAILS

Maintenance work was performed on the clock in 2007. On August 21, 2017, Big Ben stopped chiming, as the tower was undergoing a four-year restoration project during which the bell was scheduled to ring only for special events, notably New Year's Eve and Remembrance Sunday.

MORE DETAILS

However, it is one of the most unusual aspects of the Elizabeth Tower. 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.

MORE DETAILS

The ceremony at the top of the Elizabeth Tower – popularly known as Big Ben – was preceded by traditional bagpipe music and an evergreen bough was attached to the scaffolding by the building and civil engineering company delivering the conservation project, Sir Robert McAlpine Special Projects Ltd.

MORE DETAILS

Inside Big Ben and how to visit You can visit Big Ben by booking a 90-minute guided tour that takes visitors up 334 stairs to see the clock mechanism room, behind the four clock dials and the Belfry, where the famous bell is located. Tours can be booked by visiting the official UK Parliament website.

MORE DETAILS