Rising from the 1834 fire’s aftermath, the neo‑Gothic clock tower designed by Pugin for Barry’s new Palace of Westminster was completed in 1859. Its 13.7‑ton Great Bell cracked and was ingeniously re‑hung; Denison’s gravity escapement secured accuracy. A major conservation (2017–2022) renewed masonry, dials, and mechanism.
After flames destroyed the old Palace in 1834, Parliament mandated a modern complex with a great public clock. Charles Barry’s plan embraced Gothic Revival, while Augustus Pugin designed the tower’s distinctive silhouette—his last major work. Construction began in 1843; the tower topped out at 96 m (316 ft).
The first bell (1856) cracked during testing; the present 13.7‑ton bell, cast in 1858 at Whitechapel, sounded in 1859—then cracked again. Engineers rotated the bell and reduced hammer mass; the famous slightly flat tone has become part of its identity.
Edmund Beckett Denison (Lord Grimthorpe) designed a pioneering double three‑legged gravity escapement, isolating the pendulum from driving torque and wind loads. Custodians historically trimmed rate using old pennies on the pendulum.
The tower’s resilience during WWII bomb damage cemented its symbolism. Renamed the Elizabeth Tower in 2012, it underwent comprehensive conservation from 2017 to 2022—stone repairs, regilding, glazing, and mechanism overhaul—before regular chimes returned.
