The main bell – officially the Great Bell – is known as Big Ben; the largest bell in the tower and part of the great clock. The origin of the name ‘Big Ben’ is not clear, but it may have been named after Sir Benjamin Hall, who oversaw the installation of the Great Bell. After the first bell suffered a 1.2m crack, Warners of Norton were asked to recast the bell 2.5 tonnes lighter. This new bell was winched up to the belfry in October 1858, and Big Ben first rang out on 11 July 1859. A short time later in September 1859 the bell broke again, and was fixed and reinstalled in 1863 costing £22,000. Apart from occasional halts, it has struck ever since and in 2009, Big Ben celebrated its 150th anniversary.
