Big Ben

Although often thought to be the Houses of Parliament clock tower itself, Big Ben is actually the hour bell. The first Big Ben (weighing 35,666 lbs) cracked during testing; the second (and present) Big Ben cracked after hanging. For a while, the largest quarter jack chimed the hours; but once the striker was moved on Big Ben (so it wouldn't strike the cracked part), Big Ben was used for chiming hours again. The official name for this bell is «Victoria Bell». The weight of this bell is 30,339 lbs. The pitch of this bell is E+.