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Premieres 5 November 2026 at 6pm UK time
The Old Fox's Library · Episode 13
Big Ben Isn't the Tower
Big Ben is the name of the Great Bell inside the Elizabeth Tower, not the tower itself. The Old Fox tells the story of two cracked bells, a hammer that was too heavy, and the old pennies that still keep the great clock on time.
- 'Big Ben' was originally the name of the Great Bell; the tower was known as the Clock Tower until it was renamed the Elizabeth Tower in 2012 to mark Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee (UK Parliament).
- The first bell, cast in 1856 at Stockton-on-Tees, cracked during testing; it was recast at the Whitechapel Bell Foundry in 1858 as a bell of about 13.7 tonnes (Wikipedia; Exploring London).
- Big Ben first struck in July 1859 and cracked that September; after a few years of silence the bell was turned so that a new, lighter hammer struck a different spot, and the crack has never been repaired (UK Parliament; University of Cambridge Department of Engineering).
- The name is thought to honour Sir Benjamin Hall, First Commissioner of Works, though another theory links it to the boxer Ben Caunt (UK Parliament).
- Old pennies on the pendulum regulate the clock: adding one makes it gain about two-fifths of a second a day (UK Parliament).
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What the fox said
Pull up a chair. Tonight's page: Big Ben.
Westminster. The famous clock tower beside the Houses of Parliament. Everyone calls it Big Ben.
But Big Ben isn't the tower. It's the bell. The Great Bell, hanging inside.
The tower was simply the Clock Tower, until 2012, when it was renamed the Elizabeth Tower for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.
The first bell was cast in 1856, in the north of England. During testing, it cracked.
So it was broken up and recast in London, at the Whitechapel foundry. The new bell weighed around 13.5 tonnes.
It first rang out in July, 1859. By September... it had cracked too.
The hammer, it seems, was far too heavy.
For a few years, Big Ben fell silent. Then the bell was turned, so a lighter hammer could strike a fresh spot.
The crack was never mended. It's part of the sound you hear today.
The name? Probably Sir Benjamin Hall, who oversaw the work. Though some say it was a champion boxer, Ben Caunt.
One to keep: the great clock is fine-tuned with old pennies on its pendulum. Add one, and it gains about 0.4 seconds a day.
Close the book. Keep your nose to the wind.
Sources
- 'Big Ben' was originally the name of the Great Bell; the tower was known as the Clock Tower until it was renamed the Elizabeth Tower in 2012 to mark Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee (UK Parliament).
- The first bell, cast in 1856 at Stockton-on-Tees, cracked during testing; it was recast at the Whitechapel Bell Foundry in 1858 as a bell of about 13.7 tonnes (Wikipedia; Exploring London).
- Big Ben first struck in July 1859 and cracked that September; after a few years of silence the bell was turned so that a new, lighter hammer struck a different spot, and the crack has never been repaired (UK Parliament; University of Cambridge Department of Engineering).
- The name is thought to honour Sir Benjamin Hall, First Commissioner of Works, though another theory links it to the boxer Ben Caunt (UK Parliament).
- Old pennies on the pendulum regulate the clock: adding one makes it gain about two-fifths of a second a day (UK Parliament).
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