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It took eight years, five major contrac-
tors and the sweat and labour of 432
construction workers to build the bridge.
Two massive piers were sunk into the
river bed to support the construction and
over 11,000 tons of steel provided the
framework for the Towers andWalkways.
This framework was clad in Cornish
granite and Portland stone to protect
the underlying steelwork and to give
the Bridge a more pleasing appearance.
Tours are available where you can
learn more about the history of this
magnificent, one-of-a-kind bridge.
Big Ben
One cannot visit London without snap-
ping a picture of the most famous clock
in the world. Big Ben is actually the
nickname for the Great Bell of the clock
at the north end of the Palace of Westmin-
ster. Now officially known as Elizabeth
Tower, it was renamed to celebrate the
Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II in 2012.
After a fire destroyed much of the
Palace of Westminster–the headquarters
of the British Parliament–in October
1834, a standout feature of the design for
the new palace was a large clock atop a
tower. The royal astronomer, Sir George
Airy, wanted the clock to have pinpoint
accuracy, including twice-a-day checks
with the Royal Greenwich Observatory.
While many clockmakers dismissed
this goal as impossible, Airy counted on
the help of Edmund Beckett Denison,
a formidable barrister known for his
expertise in horology (the science of
measuring time).
Denison’s design was completed
in 1854. Five years later, St. Stephen’s
Tower itself was finished. Weighing in at
more than 13 tons, its massive bell was
dragged to the tower through the streets
of London by a team of 16 horses.
Once it was installed, Big Ben struck
its first chimes on May 31, 1859. Just two
months later, however, the heavy striker
designed by Denison cracked the bell.
Three more years passed before a lighter
hammer was added and the clock went
into service again. The bell was rotated
so that the hammer would strike another
surface, but the crack was never repaired.
At night, all four of the clock’s faces,
each one 23 feet across, are illuminated.
A light above Big Ben is also lit to let
the public know when Parliament is in
session.
St Paul’s Cathedral
This gorgeous building is an Anglican
cathedral, the seat of the Bishop of
London and the mother church of the
Diocese of London. It sits on Ludgate Hill
at the highest point of the City of London.
Its dedication to Paul the Apostle dates
back to the original church on this site,
founded in AD 604.
The present church, dating from the
late 17th century, was designed in the
English Baroque style by Sir Christopher
Wren. The construction was completed
in Wren’s lifetime and was part of a
major rebuilding programme in the city
after the Great Fire of London.
St Paul’s Cathedral was the tallest
building in London from 1710 to 1962.
The dome is among the highest in the
world and is the second largest church
building in area in the United Kingdom
after Liverpool Cathedral.
Services that have been held at St
Paul’s have included the funerals of Lord
Nelson, the Duke of Wellington and Sir
Winston Churchill, Jubilee celebrations
for Queen Victoria, peace services mark-
ing the end of the First and SecondWorld
Wars, the wedding of Charles, Prince
of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer, the
launch of the Festival of Britain and the
thanksgiving services for the Golden
Jubilee, the 80th Birthday and Diamond
Jubilee of Elizabeth II.
London beautifully balances modern
with historical. Aficionados of beautiful
architecture and history should visit
this city and allow themselves to be im-
mersed in all that she has to offer.
St Paul’s Cathedral is an
Anglican cathedral, the seat
of the Bishop of London and
the mother church of the
Diocese of London