The clock, Big Ben stopped at 10:07 p.m. on May 27, 2005. In the heart of London, amidst the hustle and bustle of the city, stands the iconic Big Ben. A symbol of time, history, and resilience. On May 27, 2005, at precisely 10:07 p.m., this majestic clock, with its rhythmic chimes, came to a sudden halt. For a brief moment, time stood still, and the world paused in awe.
Let’s go on a distinctive journey as we explore the significance of Big Ben’s clock halting at 10:07 p.m. on May 27, 2005. Discover more about this sudden pause in time.
Big Ben is the nickname for the Great Bell of the Great Clock of Westminster, and, by extension, for the clock tower itself, which stands at the north end of the Palace of Westminster in London, England.
Originally known simply as the Clock Tower, it was renamed Elizabeth Tower in 2012 to mark the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II. The clock is a striking clock with five bells.
The History of the Tower
Elizabeth 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.
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. Construction of the tower began on 28 September 1843.
The building contractors were Thomas Grissell and Morton Peto. An inscribed trowel in the Parliamentary Archives records that Emily, sister of Peto’s daughter-in-law, was given the honor of laying the first stone.
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”.
Who Designed the Big Ben?
The tower was designed by Augustus Pugin in a Perpendicular Gothic Revival style and was completed in 1859. It is elaborately decorated with stone carvings and features symbols. These feature symbols are related to the four nations of the United Kingdom and the Anglo-Welsh Tudor dynasty.
A Latin inscription celebrates Queen Victoria, in whose reign the palace was built. The tower stands 316 feet (96 m) tall, and the climb from ground level to the belfry is 334 steps. Its base is square, measuring 40 feet (12 m) on each side. The dials of the clock are 22.5 feet (6.9 m) in diameter.
Completed 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. Its dials (at the center) are 180 feet (54.9 m) above ground level.
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. It was constructed using bricks clad on the exterior with sand-colored Anston limestone from South Yorkshire. Also, topped by a spire covered in hundreds of cast iron roof tiles.
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.
What Is the Tower Made of?
Above the belfry and the Ayrton Light are 52 shields. These are 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, the shamrock of Northern Ireland, and the leek of Wales.
They also feature the pomegranate of Catherine of Aragon. The first wife of the Tudor king Henry VIII; the portcullis, symbolizing both Houses of Parliament; and fleurs-de-lis, a legacy from when English monarchs claimed to rule France.
However, a 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”.
It was intended to draw cool, fresh air into the Palace of Westminster. In practice this did not work and the shaft was repurposed as a chimney, until around 1914. The 2017–2021 conservation works included the addition of a lift (or elevator) that was installed in the shaft.
Its foundations rest on a layer of gravel, below which is London Clay. Owing to this soft ground, the tower leans slightly to the northwest by roughly 230 mm (9.1 in) over 55 m height, giving an inclination of approximately 1⁄240.
This includes a planned maximum of 22 mm increased tilt due to tunneling for the Jubilee line extension. In the 1990s, thousands of tons of concrete were pumped into the ground underneath the tower to stabilize it during the construction of the Westminster section of the Jubilee line.
It leans by about 500 mm (20 in) at the finial. Experts believe the tower’s lean will not be a problem for another 4,000 to 10,000 years.
Why Did Big Ben Stop?
Big Ben, the landmark London clock renowned for its accuracy and chimes, stopped ticking for 90 minutes. An engineer said Saturday.
Officials do not know why the 147-year-old clock on the banks of the River Thames stopped at 10:07 p.m. Friday. It resumed keeping time, but stalled again at 10:20 p.m. Remained still for about 90 minutes before starting up again,. Said an engineer at the Palace of Westminster, which operates the clock.
The engineer requested anonymity because he was not officially authorized to speak to the press.
More so, there has been speculation a recent spell of hot weather may have been to blame. Temperatures in London reached 90 on Saturday, and forecasters called it England’s hottest day in May since 1953. But the engineer said the cause was unclear.
Conclusion
In a world filled with constant motion and noise, taking a moment to pause and reflect is essential. It’s a chance to appreciate the present, acknowledge the past, and embrace the future with open arms. Big Ben’s frozen hands serve as a gentle nudge to slow down, breathe, and find solace in the stillness.
