LONDON — The chimes of Big Ben that have rung out across the British capital for more than 150 years are set to fall silent for “several months” to make “urgent” repairs, Parliament announced Tuesday.
Big Ben is one of London’s most famous icons, and its “bongs” are broadcast live on BBC Radio.
But British officials say that urgent repairs are needed on the Great Clock and the tower that houses Big Ben.
(Fun trivia: While almost everyone refers to the clock tower as “Big Ben,” that’s not technically true. Big Ben is the nickname given to the 13.5-ton bell that resides inside the Elizabeth Tower. The clock itself is known as the Great Clock.)
It’s not just the tower that’s in desperate need of repair. The entire Palace of Westminster is in need of refurbishment, and lawmakers are examining options that could see them decamp to another site for as many as six years.
But that work won’t begin until the early 2020s, and the House of Commons said that repairs to the tower and its clock cannot wait that long.
In a lengthy statement on its website, Parliament said that “problems have been identified with the clock hands, mechanism and pendulum, which need to be dealt with immediately to ensure that the clock can continue to work properly.” The statement also said that there are “cracks in masonry, leaks, erosion, and severe rusting of metalwork.”
Parliament’s website also said that “if this work is not undertaken, there is a risk that the clock mechanism will fail, and that significant damage will happen to the fabric of the building.”
The repairs, set to begin in 2017, are estimated to take three years, and during that time, the 315-foot Elizabeth Tower will be covered in scaffolding (with at least one clock face visible at any given time.) It’s the first time in more than 31 years that extensive repairs will take place.
At $42 million, the refurbishments will also include the installation of an elevator. Currently, the only way to visit Big Ben is to climb a 334-step spiral staircase.
According to the clockmakers, Big Ben will still chime for high-profile events throughout the repairs, including at midnight on New Year’s Eve.
And for those really missing the chimes, there’s always the wildly popular Twitter account that tweets “bongs” every hour.
(c) 2016, The Washington Post ยท Karla Adam
