Little Ben Clock Tower, Victoria

Little Ben Clock Tower

On a traffic island at the junction of Victoria Street and Vauxhall Bridge Road in London, outside the front entrance to Victoria Station, stands a clock tower often wrongly described as a replica of the Elizabeth Tower at the Palace of Westminster. In a classic piece of mis-labelling, the tower is known as Little Ben, since the Elizabeth Tower is often, erroneously, dubbed 'Big Ben'.

In reality, Big Ben refers to the hour bell inside the Elizabeth Tower, not the tower itself, but that hasn't stopped this small replica being known as Little Ben. And though it is frequently described as a replica of the Elizabeth Tower, it isn't, though it bears a close enough resemblance to make the connection at least vaguely plausible.

According to newspaper accounts at the time, the tower stands 26 feet high (approximately 8 metres). and the clock needed winding only once a week. Curiously, the clock mechanism is not behind the clock face, but in the base of the tower. It connects to the clock face via a system of rods.

The clock face

History

Little Ben was commissioned by the Vestry of St. George’s Hanover-Square, the governing body for this area of London and a forerunner of the Westminster City Council. The intent was simply to provide a public timepiece for busy travellers rushing to and from Victoria Station.

The clock tower was built by the Gillett & Johnson company of Croydon, Surrey, a clock and bell-making firm established in 1844. Other famous clocks by the same company include the clock in the Canadian Parliament buildings in Ottawa, Bradford Town Hall, Portsmouth Cathedral, the Royal Courts of Justice, and St James's Palace.

The clock tower was officially unveiled on 14 March 1892. It stood in a slightly different position to the spot it occupies today.

The dome and weathervane

Restoration

Roadworks in 1964 made it necessary to take the clock tower down, and it was held in storage until 1981 when it was restored and re-erected. The cost of the £35,000 restoration was covered by Westminster City Council with contributions from the French company Elf Aquitaine Limited as a mark of Anglo-French cooperation.

The French connection may at first glance seem odd, but there is history behind the company's sponsorship of the restoration; during the late Victorian period, Little Ben was often used as a meeting point for French travellers wanting to take trains from Victoria Station to ports on the south coast so they could take ferries across the Channel to France.

The dedication plaque

The clock was taken down in 2012 during upgrade works to Victoria station. It was restored and re-erected in 2016.

Little Ben is made of cast iron, richly painted in black, gold, and red, and was erected in 1892. It is made in four stages, each square in plan, rising up to a large clock stage. The clock stage is crowned by an octagonal pinnacled top and surmounted by a weathervane atop a gilded dome.

The dedication plaque on the base reads as follows:

'Little Ben'

First erected in 1892, taken down in 1964.
Restored and re-erected on the 15th December 1981
by the Westminster City Council.
With the help of ELF, Aquitaine UK.
Offered as a gesture of Franco-British Friendship

Little Ben's Apology for Summer Time

My hands you may retard or may advance
My heart beats true for England as for France
J.W.R.

At the base of the tower is a second, smaller plaque, commemorating the second restoration in these words:

Restored and rebuilt
1981 and 2016
by
Smith of Derby Ltd
Alfreton Road
Derby

Looking up from the tower base

The 'Apology for Summer Time' requires another bit of history.

When the clock was unveiled, it was set to Daylight Saving Time, meaning that it would be correct during the summer months for Britain and in the winter months for France (and, conversely, one hour out for Britain in the winter months and for France in the summer).

However, when the clock was restored in 2016, the Daylight Savings Time oddity was not restored. The clock is now - in theory - correct (for British time) all year, though it was five minutes out the last time we visited.

The nickname 'Little Ben' appears to be of recent vintage. Records suggest that it was simply called the Clock Tower throughout much of its existence.

Little Ben has been listed as Grade II by Historic England as a mark of its heritage interest.

In a curious twist, Little Ben has its own replica, a miniature copy erected in the Seychelles to mark Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee.

Detail of the restored cast-iron design

Visiting

Little Ben is extremely easy to find. It stands on a traffic island at the meeting of Vauxhall Bridge Road and Victoria Street. As you exit the station, look towards the Victoria Palace Theatre and you will see the ornate clock tower halfway in between.

Little Ben will not keep you long, but it is a magnificent example of Victorian design and a reminder that everywhere you look in London, there's a fascinating piece of heritage to see.