12/17/2023 0 Comments Big ben clock video![]() ![]() Ī ventilation shaft running from ground level up to the belfry, which measures 16 feet (4.9 m) by 8 feet (2.4 m), was designed by David Boswell Reid, known as "the grandfather of air-conditioning". They also feature the pomegranate of Catherine of Aragon, first wife of the Tudor king Henry VIII the portcullis, symbolising both Houses of Parliament and fleurs-de-lis, a legacy from when English monarchs claimed to rule France. Ībove the belfry and Ayrton light are 52 shields decorated with national emblems of the four countries of the UK: the red and white rose of England's Tudor dynasty, the thistle of Scotland, shamrock of Northern Ireland, and leek of Wales. There is a spiral staircase with 290 stone steps up to the clock room, followed by 44 to reach the belfry, and an additional 59 to the top of the spire. ![]() It was constructed using bricks clad on the exterior with sand-coloured Anston limestone from South Yorkshire, topped by a spire covered in hundreds of cast-iron rooftiles. The tower's base is square, measuring 40 feet (12.2 m) on each side, resting on concrete foundations 12 feet (3.7 m) thick. Its dials (at the centre) are 180 feet (54.9 m) above ground level. DesignĬompleted in 1859, the tower is designed in Pugin's Gothic Revival style and is 316 feet (96.3 m) high, making it the third tallest clock tower in the UK. It was Pugin's last design before his descent into mental illness and death in 1852, and Pugin himself wrote, at the time of Barry's last visit to him to collect the drawings: "I never worked so hard in my life for Mr Barry for tomorrow I render all my designs for finishing his bell tower and it is beautiful". An inscribed trowel now in the Parliamentary Archives records that Emily, sister of Peto's daughter-in-law, was given the honour of laying the first stone. The building contractors were Thomas Grissell and Morton Peto. Construction of the tower began on 28 September 1843. Although Barry was the chief architect of the neo-gothic palace, he turned to Augustus Pugin for the design of the Clock Tower, which resembles earlier Pugin designs, including one for Scarisbrick Hall in Lancashire. Tower History Audio description of the tower by Gary O'DonoghueĮlizabeth Tower, originally named the Clock Tower, and popularly known as "Big Ben", was built as a part of Charles Barry's design for a new Palace of Westminster after the old palace was largely destroyed by fire on 16 October 1834. The fabric was repaired and renovated between 20, during which the bells remained silent with few exceptions. The clock tower has been part of a Grade I listed building since 1970 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987. It is one of the most prominent symbols of the United Kingdom and parliamentary democracy, and it is often used in the establishing shot of films set in London. The Elizabeth Tower is a British cultural icon. There are four quarter bells, which chime on the quarter hours. Its nickname may be derived from Sir Benjamin Hall, who oversaw its installation, or heavyweight boxing champion Benjamin Caunt. The Great Bell was cast by the Whitechapel Bell Foundry and weighs 13.5 long tons (13.7 tonnes 15.1 short tons). It is known for its reliability, and can be adjusted by adding or removing pre-decimal pennies from the pendulum. It was designed by Edmund Beckett Denison and George Airy, the Astronomer Royal, and constructed by Edward John Dent and Frederick Dent. The clock uses its original mechanism and was the largest and most accurate four-faced striking and chiming clock in the world upon its completion. The dials of the clock are 22.5 feet (6.9 m) in diameter. Its base is square, measuring 40 feet (12 m) on each side. The tower stands 316 feet (96 m) tall, and the climb from ground level to the belfry is 334 steps. It is elaborately decorated and includes symbols related to the four nations of the United Kingdom, the Tudor dynasty, and a Latin inscription to Queen Victoria. The tower was designed by Augustus Pugin in a Perpendicular Gothic Revival style and was completed in 1859. The tower was officially called the Clock Tower until 2012, when it was renamed to mark the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II. The tower is nicknamed " Big Ben", a name which was originally applied only to the largest bell of the clock. It contains the Great Clock, a striking clock with five bells. The Elizabeth Tower is the clock tower of the Palace of Westminster in London, England. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |