Big Ben

[bigben]

what is the history of st Stephen's tower in london?

[Quizmonster]

A royal chapel was built on the site of the Palace of Westminster by King Stephen in the middle of the 12th century. It was rebuilt more than 100 years later by Edward I, but lost its religious significance with the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the 1540s. Thereafter and until 1834 - when the chapel was destroyed by fire - it was used as the first home of the House of Parliament. The tower was constructed as part of the rebuild and rededicated to St Stephen. Hence its common name, St Stephen's Tower, although its official name is Parliament Clock Tower.

[Maudlettice]

The romantic Gothic antiquarianism housing Big Ben was designed with intricate Tudor detailing by Sir Charles Barry (assisted by Mr AWN Pugin) and completed in 1868. It stands at the North end of Westminster New Palace and is 96m (316 feet) high. It now leans slightly towards Bridge Street. It was originally and officially called The Clock Tower, and up to this day has always been known as The Clock Tower and nothing else.

[Quizmonster]

Well, I always call it St Stephen's Tower...the questioner calls it St Stephen's Tower...even a BBC History of Architecture website - which you can visit by clicking http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/society_culture/archi
tecture/gallery_buildingstyles_06.shtml - calls it St Stephen's Tower. So do several hundred other websites and reference books. I think we can take it, therefore, that the idea that it has never been called anything other than the Clock Tower - which is certainly its 'official' name - is not strictly accurate!

In precisely the same way, we all know that Big Ben is actually the bell within the tower, but that doesn't stop virtually everyone referring to the clock or even the clock-faces specifically by that name.

[Maudlettice]

Into the unsymmetrical Victorian cut-stone fantasy of Westminster New Palace Sir Charles Barry incorporated three towers - Victoria Tower at the South end, Middle Tower (or Spired Lantern) over Central Hall, and the Clock Tower at the North end. The Clock Tower houses Big Ben, and has never been known by any other name. There are misnomers, the most common of which is that Big Ben is also the name of the tower (this is in several dictionaries and much tourist advertising. That the BBC web History Section calls it St Stehens Tower is totally wrong and they should know better. For the avoidance of doubt, there is no St Stehens Tower, Parliament Clok Tower or Big Ben Tower anywhere in London. The tower housing Big Ben is The Clock Tower and that is unarguable fact. Also arising from your first reply, the only religously dedicated part of the Palace is St Stephens Chapel, which is a long way from, not connected to or in any way whatsoever involved with The Clock Tower.

[Quizmonster]

I'm not at all sure, Maude, how you can say (quote): "The Clock Tower...has never been known by any other name". I've offered you one website - run by a generally well-respected organisation, the BBC - where it is known by another name. I could offer you several hundred others, too, but I'm sure - indeed, your answers make it obvious - that you are perfectly capable of running your own Google searches. The world of print offers the same option.

What you presumably mean to say is that it "has never been known by any other official name", which I don't imagine anyone would dispute. I don't...the reason I called it 'Parliament Clock Tower' earlier is because, at some time in my Iong life, I had read that that is what it is officially called. I'm totally happy to stand corrected on that point. The fact remains, though, that there are masses of people who call it St Stephen's Tower, misnomer or not. And people will happily go on saying they saw Big Ben on their trip to London, even though they didn't set foot in the tower! (I'll leave it at that.)

[MangoRose]

I don't advocate setting foot in the place - there are well over 300 steps to climb just to view a clanking lump of metal for a few minutes. On this one I felt that you were up Loch Ness without your slither, Monster, but generally I much admire your answers and particularly those magic links. I click on each one that I find and am happily taken into all sorts of things that I would not have found for myself. Thank you. Best wishes. Maude.

[Maudlettice]

Well I'm blowed, I seem to have become MangoRose. I'm Maude really.

[Quizmonster]

Thank you for your kind comment, Maude, and I fully accept the mild reprimand, too. I must confess I had not sussed your alter ego!