The famous Big Ben clock is about to work, the bell will ring again soon

Elizabeth Tower’s five-year restoration involved scaffolding, 500 workers and ultimately cost the UK £51 million.

The iconic Big Ben watch dials have been restored to their original color (Prussian blue) after experts discovered a darkening under the black paintwork. The illumination behind the dial used to be gas powered but has now been switched to energy efficient LEDs.

Seven hundred stone pieces were replaced, all carved on the spot. Cracks in the structural block were mended, leaks stopped, and parts degraded by the effects of erosion and rust were repaired. The inside of the tower has also been redecorated, with elevators and toilets installed.

Matthew Hamlyn, Chair of the Elizabeth Tower Project Board said: “It’s part of the UK’s precious heritage and even the world’s. For more than 1.5 centuries, Big Ben has been doing well. It is a symbol of stability, and I think it has become a symbol of the UK’s parliamentary democracy. We are grateful to the Victorian women of England, who created it. this wonder, where to put it back in top condition and make it fit for the 21st century.”

The restoration of Elizabeth Tower with Big Ben is almost completed (Image: Sky News)

The tower, designed by Charles Barry and Augustus Pugin, was completed in 1859 during the reign of Queen Victoria, when many people were concerned with clocks and standardization of time. It was damaged during the Blitz, the Nazi bombardment of England, by pollution and weather influences that lasted for 1.5 centuries in London. Asbestos was also detected.

The part of the clock that has yet to be moved is its largest bell – Big Ben. However, the entire mechanism of the watch has been upgraded.

Watchmaker Ian Westworth said: “We took every nut and bolt apart, took everything off the big frame and looked at each part, serviced, painted, repaired it. And now we’re doing it. in the process of putting all the parts back and slowly re-assembling the watch”.

Public tours of the Elizabeth Tower are expected to resume in winter.

Source: Sky News