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'''Big Ben''' was the popular name by which the [[clock tower]] at the [[north]]-[[east]]ern end of the [[Palace of Westminster]] was most commonly known. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|The Time Traveller's Almanac (reference book)}}) It was also known simply as the '''Clock Tower''', ([[COMIC]]: {{cs|The Aquarius Condition (comic story)}}, [[PROSE]]: {{cs|The Time Traveller's Almanac (reference book)}}) '''St Stephen's Tower''', ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|Alien landing confirmed (short story)}}, {{cs|Lucy Wilson (short story)}}) and '''Elizabeth Tower'''. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|Twenty-First-Century London (feature)|page=28}}) "Big Ben" was in actuality the [[nickname]] of the tower's [[Great Bell]]. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|The Time Traveller's Almanac (reference book)}}, {{cs|Twenty-First-Century London (feature)|page=28}}) | '''Big Ben''' was the popular name by which the [[clock tower]] at the [[north]]-[[east]]ern end of the [[Palace of Westminster]] was most commonly known. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|The Time Traveller's Almanac (reference book)|chaptnum=3|chaptname=Everything Changes|page=81}}) It was also known simply as the '''Clock Tower''', ([[COMIC]]: {{cs|The Aquarius Condition (comic story)}}, [[PROSE]]: {{cs|The Time Traveller's Almanac (reference book)|chaptnum=3|chaptname=Everything Changes|page=81}}) '''St Stephen's Tower''', ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|Alien landing confirmed (short story)}}, {{cs|Lucy Wilson (short story)}}) and '''Elizabeth Tower'''. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|Twenty-First-Century London (feature)|page=28}}) "Big Ben" was in actuality the [[nickname]] of the tower's [[Great Bell]]. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|The Time Traveller's Almanac (reference book)|chaptnum=3|chaptname=Everything Changes|page=81}}, {{cs|Twenty-First-Century London (feature)|page=28}}) | ||
The tower housed five bells, the largest of which was the Great Bell. The clock tower was [[96.3 (number)|96.3]] [[metre]]s [[Height|tall]]. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|The Time Traveller's Almanac (reference book)}}) | The tower housed five bells, the largest of which was the Great Bell. The clock tower was [[96.3 (number)|96.3]] [[metre]]s [[Height|tall]]. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|The Time Traveller's Almanac (reference book)|chaptnum=3|chaptname=Everything Changes|page=81}}) | ||
==History== | ==History== | ||
===19th century=== | ===19th century=== | ||
The [[tower]] was designed by the [[English]] [[architect]] [[Augustus Pugin]] when the Palace was rebuilt following a [[fire]] in [[1834]], and the [[clock]] was started in [[September]] [[1859]]. ([[PROSE]]: | The [[tower]] was designed by the [[English]] [[architect]] [[Augustus Pugin]] when the Palace was rebuilt following a [[fire]] in [[1834]], and the [[clock]] was started in [[September]] [[1859]]. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|The Time Traveller's Almanac (reference book)|chaptnum=2|chaptname=Brave New World|page=49}}) | ||
In [[1892]], [[Clara Oswin Oswald]], while serving as a governess under the alias Miss Montegue, claimed to her young charges that she was born behind Big Ben's face. She explained that it accounted for her acute sense of [[time]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Snowmen (TV story)|The Snowmen]]'') | In [[1892]], [[Clara Oswin Oswald]], while serving as a governess under the alias Miss Montegue, claimed to her young charges that she was born behind Big Ben's face. She explained that it accounted for her acute sense of [[time]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Snowmen (TV story)|The Snowmen]]'') | ||
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In [[1924]], [[Shade Vassily]] planned to use Big Ben to power his ship. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Clockwise Man (novel)|The Clockwise Man]]'') | In [[1924]], [[Shade Vassily]] planned to use Big Ben to power his ship. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Clockwise Man (novel)|The Clockwise Man]]'') | ||
Whilst the Palace was hit fourteen times during [[the Blitz]], the clock remained operational and accurate throughout the [[Second World War]], although it was not [[illumination|illuminated]]. ([[PROSE]]: | Whilst the Palace was hit fourteen times during [[the Blitz]], the clock remained operational and accurate throughout the [[Second World War]], although it was not [[illumination|illuminated]]. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|The Time Traveller's Almanac (reference book)|chaptnum=2|chaptname=Brave New World|page=49}}) | ||
In [[January]] [[1941]], [[Jack Harkness]] tethered his ship to Big Ben. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Empty Child (TV story)|The Empty Child]]'') For the only time between [[September]] [[1939]] and [[April]] [[1945]], Big Ben's [[light]]s were switched back on as Jack danced with Rose on top of his [[Chula warship]] alongside the tower. It was not recorded whether this itself led to one of the successful [[German]] strikes on the Palace of Westminster. ([[PROSE]]: | In [[January]] [[1941]], [[Jack Harkness]] tethered his ship to Big Ben. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Empty Child (TV story)|The Empty Child]]'') For the only time between [[September]] [[1939]] and [[April]] [[1945]], Big Ben's [[light]]s were switched back on as Jack danced with Rose on top of his [[Chula warship]] alongside the tower. It was not recorded whether this itself led to one of the successful [[German]] strikes on the Palace of Westminster. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|The Time Traveller's Almanac (reference book)|chaptnum=2|chaptname=Brave New World|page=49}}) | ||
In [[1976]], Big Ben's clock face was bombed by [[Black Star]]. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Love and War (novel)|Love and War]]'', ''[[No Future (novel)|No Future]]'') | In [[1976]], Big Ben's clock face was bombed by [[Black Star]]. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Love and War (novel)|Love and War]]'', ''[[No Future (novel)|No Future]]'') | ||
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[[File:Big Ben destroyed.jpg|thumb|Big Ben being destroyed by the [[Slitheen]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[Aliens of London (TV story)|Aliens of London]]'')]] | [[File:Big Ben destroyed.jpg|thumb|Big Ben being destroyed by the [[Slitheen]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[Aliens of London (TV story)|Aliens of London]]'')]] | ||
In [[2006]], Big Ben was destroyed by a [[Slitheen craft]], which sheared it in half. ([[TV]]: ''[[Aliens of London (TV story)|Aliens of London]]'', [[PROSE]]: ''[[Operation London (short story)|Operation London]]'') This was seen by [[Elton Pope]] among many witnesses. ([[TV]]: ''[[Love & Monsters (TV story)|Love & Monsters]]'') Reconstruction proceeded shortly afterwards, ([[TV]]: ''[[The Christmas Invasion (TV story)|The Christmas Invasion]]'') when Prime Minister [[Harriet Jones]] ordered the rebuilding to begin soon after she took office. ([[PROSE]]: | In [[2006]], Big Ben was destroyed by a [[Slitheen craft]], which sheared it in half. ([[TV]]: ''[[Aliens of London (TV story)|Aliens of London]]'', [[PROSE]]: ''[[Operation London (short story)|Operation London]]'') This was seen by [[Elton Pope]] among many witnesses. ([[TV]]: ''[[Love & Monsters (TV story)|Love & Monsters]]'') Reconstruction proceeded shortly afterwards, ([[TV]]: ''[[The Christmas Invasion (TV story)|The Christmas Invasion]]'') when Prime Minister [[Harriet Jones]] ordered the rebuilding to begin soon after she took office. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|The Time Traveller's Almanac (reference book)|chaptnum=3|chaptname=Everything Changes|page=81}}) | ||
Shortly after Big Ben was rebuilt, the last [[Steggosian]] attempted to release a deadly [[poison]] from the tower, but the [[Tenth Doctor]] stopped him. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Eyeless (novel)|The Eyeless]]'') | Shortly after Big Ben was rebuilt, the last [[Steggosian]] attempted to release a deadly [[poison]] from the tower, but the [[Tenth Doctor]] stopped him. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Eyeless (novel)|The Eyeless]]'') | ||
