Ring a bell? Dig could uncover Big Ben’s daddy
by Daniel Boffey from on (#9KR4)
An excavation of parliament to find the original bell, Great Tom, could unwrap many medieval secrets
Such is the state of disrepair of the Palace of Westminster that experts say the famous bell tower that houses Big Ben is gradually leaning over. But as time runs out for the old bell, its once equally renowned ancestor, Great Tom, could emerge from the past this summer as archaeologists conduct the first excavation at parliament in a generation.
The original tower was built around 1288 during the reign of Edward I, a little further from the river than the current tower, which was built in 1859 and is officially called the Elizabeth Tower - though in the public imagination it is firmly identified with its 16-tonne bell.
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