How Old is Big Ben
                     How Old Is Big Ben?
Interesting facts and Big Ben Restoration
Outline of Topics
Big Ben is a very common tourist attraction in 
London. In this presentation we will discuss:
• About Big Ben
• History & Architecture of the Big Ben
• Renovation Project
• More Tips and Advice
About Big Ben
o People call the Elizabeth tower in London, Big 
Ben but originally it is the name used for the 
great bell situated in that tower at the House of 
Parliament.
o The clock tower has five bells and big Ben 
is largest among them. It is 13.5 tons 
heavy. 
o Big Ben is the part of the British culture 
and history. It is a very common tourist 
attraction in London
History and Architecture
o Augustus Pugin was the one who design the 
clock tower back in early 18’s and the 
architecture was based upon Gothic revival. Big 
Ben was completed on 31st May, 1859 (160 
years ago). 
o The Clock tower is about 96 meter tall, which 
was the largest, most prominent and charming 
clock tower in the world .
History and Architecture
o It was previously called The Clock Tower then in 
2012, it was renamed as the Elizabeth Tower to 
honor the diamond jubilee of our Elizabeth II.
o Big Ben is one of the listed Grade I 
buildings and a heritage site of the 
UNESCO since 1987.
The Restoration Of Big Ben
o When the tower was built back in 1859, the 
clock’s original color was blue but due to the 
industrial smog in the London, the blue color 
faded away and turned into black. But now in 
this ongoing renovation, the original blue color 
will be restored.
o Renovation work includes the installation of 
lift, repairing of frame of the bell, repairing 
of the roof, a glass will be replaced by a 
brick enclosure in the tower 
The Restoration Of Big Ben
o At the moment, the restoration of Big Ben is 
half-way done. All the 3,433 cast-iron tiles have 
been replaced. The clock has also been 
reconditioned, with its 324 pieces installed just 
like in the original design.
o By the later end of next year (2020) the 
scaffoldings on the building will be removed. 
Tourists can then resume taking pictures with 
the historical landmark.
Advantages of Restoration
Restoration of historical buildings safeguards their 
uniqueness. So much that it is difficult to find 
another building similar to the old ones, or with 
the same significance. To know more about 
building restoration you can read these articles:
• Historic Building Restoration
• Techniques To Repair And Restore Your Building 
Exteriors
Basildon Stone provides a specialist service for the cleaning of all brick and 
stone facades, graffiti/paint removal and the application of surface 
protection.
We offer: Brick Cleaning, Stone Cleaning, Paint Removal, 
Graffiti Removal Services in London & Essex
For a free quote call: 01268 755590
www.basildonstone.co.uk/