Big Ben will chime for the first time since 2017 on New Year’s Eve

Wednesday, December 22, 2021

London’s iconic Big Ben clock tower is finally ready to chime once again after remaining silent since 2017.


The clock tower, also known as Elizabeth Tower, will mark the start of 2022 by chiming 12 times.
The clock tower went through renovations since it last chimed, and is now ready to ring out once more.

The public got to see one of its faces in late November when it was revealed. The all new Big Ben has new blown-glass panels, with beautiful details. It also has Prussian blue hands and numbers now.

It is all set to become one of the greatest attractions this New Year in London. The Big Ben on the banks of the Thames River will chime once again, as people will cheer on.

The complete renovated clock should be ready for public viewing by December 31 of this year. According to the UK Parliament, it will be struck for the last time with its temporary electric mechanism.

Nicholas Sturge, the Project Manager for the restoration work said in a statement, that by New Year, people will start to see a big difference; they’ll start to get their tower back.


The roofs will be fully visible along with the four clock faces. The government expects the clock to be gravity-powered again by spring, and the bell to resume its normal schedule then as well.

The neo-Gothic style clock tower was designed by Augustus Pugin, and was completed back in May 31, 1859. The over 100 year old clock tower finally gets renovated, with newer things.

The clock now has hour hands that are made of gun metal, weighing all of 300 kg. This makes it more than 300-times heavier than the minute hands.

The towering clock is one of the most recognisable landmarks in the world, survived World War II bombings by the Nazis. However, it was quite badly damaged by Nazi air raids in May 1941.

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