LONDON – The Great Bell of the Great Clock at the Palace of Westminster, known as “Big Ben,” is slated to return to full-time service Sunday, five years after the iconic timepiece was silenced to complete its $95 million renovation.
According to The Washington Post, the Keeper of the Great Clock and his team tested the bells at 11 a.m. Friday, as crowds gathered nearby at Whitehall to honor Armistice Day.
A replacement chime has sounded only three times since the repairs began in 2017, including sounding 96 times during Queen Elizabeth II’s September funeral, honoring each year of the monarch’s life, the newspaper reported.
After chiming Sunday in honor of Remembrance Sunday, the four-sided, 163-year-old clock – the official title of which is the Elizabeth Tower – will resume sounding every 15 minutes, BBC reported.
More precisely, “Big Ben” will announce the hour with the big bell and every quarter hour by chiming the notes G-sharp, F-sharp, E and B, the Post reported.
According to BBC, “Big Ben” now features a new lighting system, complete with energy-efficient LED bulbs throughout the tower. (Read the complete Post report to learn repair specifics.)
Public access to the tower is expected to resume in April 2023, BBC reported.
