Big Ben is arguably one of the most iconic clocks in the world. Known for its distinctive chime, the great bell after which the clock is named, first rang out across London in 1859. Other than a brief time when the clock stopped in 1976, not even two World Wars have silenced the chime that tells the U.K. the correct time. However, in 2017 the legendary sound of Big Ben was silenced and a massive renovation of Westminster Tower took place. For five years, every part of the huge clock (excluding the massive bell) was disassembled and taken to workshops in the North West of England where it was restored by Keith Scobie Youngs and his team of clock experts at the Cumbria Clock Company. In this fascinating podcast, Collectability’s Tania Edwards learns what it was like to restore such an important clock and what makes other turret clocks, mostly found in church and public buildings, so unique and interesting in the world of horology.
Watch this interview on Collectability’s YouTube.
