| Thursday 19th March 2009 | ||||||
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Earlier in his year, The Master Ian Grimshaw had invited Tylers and Bricklayers to visit the Whitechapel Bell Foundry where Big Ben was cast. This visit was followed up with an invitation to Liverymen to climb the 334 steps to see the bell itself. 2009 is the 150th anniversary of the first sounding of Big Ben. In 1834 much of the Palace of Westminster was destroyed by fire. A competition was held to choose a design for the new building. The winning entry from architect Charles Barry incorporated a clock tower in the design. The clock was designed by Edmund Denison, an amateur horologist and the clock maker Edward Dent constructed it. The specification was such that the clock was expected to be accurate, in those days it was common for clocks to be out by some 1 to 2 minutes. The first stop on the way up the Tower was for a brief history of the Palace and its reconstruction following the fire. We then carried on up to see the four clock faces, each of which span some 7 metres; the hour hand 2.7 metres and the minute hand some 4.2 metres. When the clock was first built a man had to climb the 334 steps to light gas lights behind each of the clock faces, nowadays, they are lit by 28 energy efficient electric light bulbs. |
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| We were fortunate enough to be in the bell chamber at 12 noon and saw and listened to each of the quarter bells chime out the lines "All through this hour, Lord be my Guide. And by thy power, no foot shall slide" and of course the twelve chimes of Big Ben. Big Ben itself was originally cast in Stockton on Tees, but during tests it cracked and a second bell was recast at Whitechapel Bell Foundry. After successful tests this bell was hauled sideways up a shaft inside the Clock Tower in October 1858, no mean feat considering it weighed 13.7 tonnes. |  |
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The final part of our visit was to the clock room, where we saw the most magnificent mechanism required to keep this famous clock working. The clock mechanism weighs about 5 tonnes, the pendulum weighs 310 kg and is 4.4 metres long and each of the clock weights are some 2.5tonnes. The pendulum beats every two seconds, and weights including "old" pennies are used to regulate the clock. So fine is the balance that one penny will cause the clock to gain 2/5th of a second in 24 hours. | |||||
| I am delighted to report that each of the 15 visitors safely made the trip up the Clock and back down again, and each was delighted to have taken part in the visit. Our thanks must go to our guide Catherine, whose knowledge of the history, building and maintenance of this most famous Clock Tower, kept us fully informed, and to the Master and Clerk for all the arrangements.
After the visit, we had a most enjoyable lunch in The Farmers Club overlooking the spring gardens alongside the Thames. With thanks to Lesley Day for writing this report and taking the pictures. |
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Tylers & Bricklayers visit to the Westminster Clock Tower
