Myths

Myths and tall tales

Big Ben has collected stories for over 160 years. Some are true, some half true, and some were never true at all.

Big Ben is the bell; the Elizabeth Tower is the tower. Dates and figures come from the sources linked beside them; where sources disagree, we show each one.

1. MythBig Ben is the name of the tower.

   FactBig Ben is, strictly, the nickname of the Great Bell. The tower’s official name was simply the Clock Tower, but people all over the world call the whole thing Big Ben after the bell. UK Parliament

2. MythThe tower has always been called the Elizabeth Tower.

   FactOn 25 June 2012 the House of Commons Commission renamed the Clock Tower the Elizabeth Tower, for Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee, after a campaign backed by MPs across the House. UK Parliament

3. MythBig Ben was named after a boxer.

   FactOn 22 October 1856 The Times reported that the bell had arrived and that it was proposed to call it “Big Ben” in honour of Sir Benjamin Hall, then in charge of public works. Word Histories Parliament says the bell was probably named after Sir Benjamin Hall in fun, because he was a tall man. UK Parliament Another theory links the name to the bare-knuckle boxing champion Ben Caunt, also known as ‘Big Ben’; HISTORY calls Hall the most likely source. HISTORY

4. MythThe bell you hear today is the one cast in 1856.

   FactDenison wanted the loudest sound possible and used a huge hammer. The bell was tested daily until 17 October 1857, when a crack 1.2 metres long appeared. The hammer was too heavy. UK Parliament The cracked bell was melted down and recast by George Mears at the Whitechapel Bell Foundry on 10 April 1858. That second bell is the one in the tower today. UK Parliament

5. MythBig Ben has never cracked.

   FactBig Ben rang out for the first time on 11 July 1859. In September it cracked too, and for four years the largest quarter bell struck the hours instead. UK Parliament Airy’s fix: turn the bell 90 degrees so the hammer hits a different spot, and fit a lighter hammer. A small square was cut out to stop the crack spreading. The crack and the hole are still visible. UK Parliament

6. MythThere was no clock tower at Westminster before Big Ben.

   FactA clock tower is said to have stood on the site in the 1290s, but there are no records of it. UK Parliament, key dates In 1367 a new tower and clock were built; Parliament calls it the first public chiming clock in England. UK Parliament, key dates In 1698 the medieval clock tower was pulled down and a sundial put up in its place. UK Parliament, key dates

7. MythThe tower went up behind scaffolding, like any other building.

   FactThe tower was built from the inside out: Londoners watched it rise with no workmen or materials in sight. UK Parliament Steam-powered winches lifted materials up a shaft inside the tower, so no scaffolding was needed; a gantry on top was jacked up as the tower grew. UK Parliament

8. MythBig Ben was taken down for the 2017–22 restoration.

   FactThe bell itself stayed where it was: Big Ben remained in the tower throughout the works. UK Parliament, 2019 For the first time in its history the clock was dismantled, winched 53 metres down and taken away for a complete overhaul. Parliament’s conservation page calls it the 12-tonne clock. UK Parliament

9. MythBig Ben was completely silent from 2017 to 2022.

   FactParliament’s clock mechanics still made sure Big Ben could strike for New Year’s Eve and Remembrance Sunday. UK Parliament

10. MythThe Great Clock has never stopped.

    FactParliament lists some long Great Clock stoppages: two months in 1934, six months in 1956, and six weeks in 2007, the longest since 1990. In 2005 it stopped for two days so the brake shaft could be inspected. UK Parliament, facts and figures On 5 August 1976 a mechanical failure badly damaged the clock: the weights spiralled out of control down the weight shaft and the mechanism blew apart. Big Ben was silent for nearly nine months, back in time for the Queen’s Silver Jubilee visit to Westminster Hall in May 1977. UK Parliament, key dates

11. MythThe Blitz silenced Big Ben.

    FactThe Palace was hit by bombs 14 times. On 10–11 May 1941 a small bomb hit the clock tower and broke all the glass in the south dial, but the clock and bells were undamaged and the chimes were broadcast as usual. UK Parliament

12. MythBig Ben’s dials were always black and gold.

    FactThe familiar black around the dials was probably chosen in the 1930s to hide the effects of pollution. UK Parliament The restored dials and hands are Prussian blue and gold, as in Barry’s design, with the red, white and blue of the Union flag around them. UK Parliament

13. MythThe light at the top is just decoration.

    FactFrom outside, look up: the Ayrton Light shines whenever either House is sitting. UK Parliament, 2022 The light is said to have been put there at Queen Victoria’s request, so she could see from Buckingham Palace when Parliament was sitting after dark. UK Parliament, 2021

14. MythThe pennies on the clock are just a story.

    FactThe clock is fine-tuned with pre-decimal pennies: adding one makes the clock gain two-fifths of a second in 24 hours. UK Parliament, facts and figures