“Big Ben”

It is not known with certainty how the Great Bell got its more widely-used name of Big Ben. There are several possible reasons, though the most commonly assumed one is that it was named after Sir Benjamin Hall, who oversaw the installation of the clock tower.

Another suggestion - though one much less likely - is that it was named after Benjamin Caunt, a well known heavyweight boxer in that era, who shared the same nickname.

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200 Years of Chimes

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An £80m Refurbishment