Big Ben to be tested this week ahead of permanent reconnection
10 October 2022
Visitors to Westminster will hear Big Ben and the four quarter bells of the Elizabeth Tower being struck later this week, as tests take place ahead of permanent reconnection of the bells in the coming weeks.
Teams working on the project have now finished ‘silent testing’, where the hammers have been run over a regular period to ensure that all parts of the Great Clock’s mechanism are functioning correctly.
Once tests have completed, Parliament will be able to announce a specific date for when the bells will be heard permanently.
Schedule
Tests will be taking place over the following periods:
- On Tuesday 11 October 2022 from 3PM, until 8AM on Wednesday 12 October: Big Ben and the quarter bells will be struck intermittently to begin with. Then, the quarter bells will be played along with Big Ben, at the usual strike rate of the Great Clock. This will continue throughout the evening and overnight, finishing on Wednesday morning at 8AM.
- On Wednesday 12 October from 3PM, until 8AM on Thursday 13 October: the quarter bells will be played, along with Big Ben, at the usual strike rate of the Great Clock. This will continue throughout the evening and overnight, finishing on Thursday morning at 8AM.
The tests taking place this week will be the first time that the Elizabeth Tower’s famous ‘Westminster Chimes’ will have been heard for a sustained period since the conservation started in 2017.
Big Ben is coming back. For the latest updates, visit the website or subscribe to the Elizabeth Tower newsletter.
Image: ©UK Parliament/Andy Bailey
