What is Big Ben's formal name? The tower housing Big Ben was formally known as St.Stephen's Tower until 2012, when it was renamed Elizabeth Tower on the occasion of Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee, celebrating 60 years on the British throne.
The 13-tonne Big Ben bell was largely silenced for five years while a major restoration of the Elizabeth Tower took place, with the “bongs” finally resuming regular service in November 2022.
The clock tower, which is also known as the Elizabeth Tower, is 315 feet (96 meters) tall and has 393 steps. The clock mechanism weighs five tons. Its pendulum is 12.8 feet (3.9 meters) long. The Great Bell weighs 13.5 tons.
The London clock tower, Big Ben was rotated by a quarter, causing the hammer to strike a different place of the bell. Meanwhile, the hammer was lightened to prevent further damage. The bell has sounded at a slightly different pitch ever since, and the crack has never been repaired.
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.
While some theorize that the prodigious bell's nickname derived from another 19th-century English heavyweight known as “Big Ben,” bare-knuckle boxing champion Ben Caunt, the most likely eponym is Sir Benjamin Hall, a Welsh civil engineer who served as a member of the House of Commons for nearly three decades.