In London, few sights carry the weight of history like Big Ben. It’s not just a clock-it’s the heartbeat of the city, ticking through wars, celebrations, and quiet winter mornings when the Thames fog rolls in and the chimes echo louder than usual. For Londoners, it’s the sound that marks the start of the workday, the signal for midnight on New Year’s Eve, and the backdrop to protests, royal events, and quiet reflections after a long day in the city. Big Ben doesn’t just tell time-it holds time.
The Clock That Survived the Blitz
When German bombs fell on London during World War II, the Houses of Parliament took direct hits. The roof was blown off, the chamber windows shattered, and the floor of the Commons was reduced to rubble. But Big Ben? It kept ticking. Even as the city burned, the chimes still rang out every hour. People say it was the sound that kept spirits alive. A BBC broadcast in 1940 featured the chimes over a recording of the city under attack, and listeners across Britain-many huddled in shelters-said it made them feel like London wouldn’t break.
The clock mechanism, built by Edward Dent in 1859, was designed to be resilient. Its 312-pound hour hand and 6.7-ton bell were engineered for precision, not just show. During the war, repair crews risked their lives to keep it running. One engineer, Jack Hutton, famously crawled through debris after a bombing to oil the gears by flashlight. He didn’t stop until the chimes rang again at midnight. That’s the kind of dedication that built this city.
The First Chime That Shook the World
Big Ben didn’t just chime for London. On July 4, 1944, the BBC transmitted its chimes live to the United States for the first time. It was the day after D-Day. Americans tuning in heard the familiar tones not as a tourist attraction, but as a symbol of resilience. For the first time, the world recognized that Big Ben wasn’t just a British landmark-it was a global symbol of endurance.
That same year, Winston Churchill used the chimes in his radio speeches. He’d open with, “We shall fight on the beaches…” followed by the deep, resonant tone of Big Ben. The sound became part of his rhetoric, a steady counterpoint to his words. Even today, if you visit the Churchill War Rooms, you’ll hear a recording of those broadcasts-the chime, the pause, the voice. It’s chilling. And it’s London.
The Silent Years: When London Stood Still
On August 21, 2017, Big Ben fell silent. Not because it broke, but because it was being repaired. The clock mechanism, over 150 years old, needed a full overhaul. The bell hadn’t rung for regular chimes since then-not for four years. For Londoners, it felt like losing a friend. Commuters missed the signal that told them when to leave the office. Students at UCL and King’s College couldn’t time their lectures by it. Tourists came to Westminster and stared at the silent tower, confused.
When the chimes returned on November 10, 2022, the city held its breath. The first strike at 11 a.m. was broadcast live on BBC Radio 4. People gathered on the South Bank. A group of pensioners from Lambeth brought tea and biscuits. A teenager from Peckham posted a TikTok of her grandmother crying as the bell rang. “I was born in ’57,” she said. “I’ve never known Big Ben quiet.”
The Chimes That Marked a New Era
On April 9, 2021, Big Ben tolled 96 times. One for each year of Queen Elizabeth II’s life. The chimes were slow, deliberate, spaced out. No music. No crowd. Just the bell, echoing across the Thames, past the London Eye, over Tower Bridge, and into the quiet streets of Notting Hill. It was the first time the bell had been used for a non-official royal event since the death of Princess Diana in 1997. And it was the most moving.
That same day, the Royal Mint released a commemorative coin featuring Big Ben’s face. It sold out in 48 hours. In Camden Market, vendors started selling handmade enamel pins of the clock tower. By the end of the week, every second person on the Tube was wearing one. That’s how London remembers.
How to Hear Big Ben Like a Local
If you’re in London and want to truly hear Big Ben-not just see it-here’s how the locals do it:
- Go to the Westminster Bridge at 8 a.m. on a weekday. The chimes are clearest before the traffic picks up. You’ll hear them over the rumble of the District Line trains below.
- Visit the rooftop bar at The Shard on a quiet Sunday. From the 68th floor, you can see the tower and hear the chimes as if they’re right beside you.
- Walk along the South Bank after sunset. When the lights on the Houses of Parliament glow gold, the chimes carry farther. Many Londoners bring a flask of tea and sit on the benches near the London Eye, just listening.
- Download the BBC Sounds app and tune into Radio 4’s “Today” program. The chime that opens the show at 6 a.m. is live from Big Ben. It’s the sound of London waking up.
The Hidden Details Most Tourists Miss
Big Ben isn’t just a tower. It’s a machine with secrets. The clock face is made of 312 pieces of opal glass, each one hand-blown in Scotland. The minute hands are longer than a London bus-over 14 feet. The pendulum is adjusted with old pennies. Yes, pennies. Add one, and the clock speeds up by 0.4 seconds a day. Remove one, and it slows. The current pendulum has 27 pennies on it. That’s how precise this thing is.
And the bell? It’s not called Big Ben because of the tower. It’s named after Sir Benjamin Hall, the tall, bearded politician who oversaw the clock’s installation. He once joked, “I’ll call it Big Ben-after the big fellow who’s got the loudest voice in the House.” The name stuck.
Big Ben in the Modern City
Today, Big Ben still ticks above the noise of Uber drivers, delivery scooters, and the hum of the Elizabeth Line. It’s been on the cover of every major London magazine-from Time Out to British GQ. It’s the backdrop to every royal wedding, every protest march from Trafalgar Square, every New Year’s countdown with fireworks over the Thames.
And yet, it’s still just a clock. It doesn’t care if you’re a tourist with a selfie stick or a nurse from St. Thomas’ Hospital rushing home after a 12-hour shift. It just keeps going. Because in London, time doesn’t stop. And neither does Big Ben.
Is Big Ben the name of the clock tower?
No, Big Ben is the name of the great bell inside the tower. The tower itself was originally called the Clock Tower, but it was renamed Elizabeth Tower in 2012 to mark Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee. Most Londoners still call it Big Ben out of habit.
Can you go inside Big Ben?
Only UK residents can book tours through their Member of Parliament. Tours are limited, often booked months in advance, and require a security check. Tourists can’t enter, but you can get close enough on Westminster Bridge or from the Houses of Parliament Visitor Centre to hear the chimes clearly.
Why does Big Ben sometimes sound different?
The sound changes with weather. Cold, dry air carries the chimes farther and sharper. Fog or rain can muffle them. The bell also has a crack-small, but present-since it was recast in 1859. That’s why the tone is slightly off-key. Londoners say it’s what makes it human.
What time does Big Ben chime?
It chimes every hour, on the hour. It also plays the Westminster Quarters-a four-note melody-every 15 minutes. The full chime sequence is 12 notes long and repeats for each hour. So at 3 p.m., you’ll hear four sets of the melody, followed by three deep strikes.
Is Big Ben still accurate?
Yes. After its 2017-2022 restoration, it’s now more accurate than ever. The clock is synchronized daily with the UK’s atomic clock at the National Physical Laboratory in Teddington. It’s rarely off by more than two seconds.
What Comes Next for Big Ben?
There are no plans to retire Big Ben. It’s not just a relic-it’s a living part of London’s infrastructure. The clock mechanism is being monitored with digital sensors now, and maintenance is scheduled every five years. There’s talk of adding solar panels to the tower to power its lighting, and a digital archive of every chime since 1859 is being compiled by the British Library.
For now, it keeps ticking. And for Londoners, that’s enough. Because in a city that changes faster than the weather, Big Ben is the one thing that doesn’t. It’s not just a landmark. It’s a promise: that time, no matter how chaotic, will keep moving forward.
