The clock tower of the Palace of Westminster in London, which houses Big Ben, is leaning 18 inches (46 cm) from its original horizontal position and sinking into the banks of the River Thames. However, experts say it will take 4,000 years for the tower to lean like the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Repair work won’t start until 2020.
Italy has its Leaning Tower of Pisa. Now, even one of England’s most iconic towers is starting to topple. According to surveys taken in 2011, the clock tower of the Palace of Westminster in London, which houses Big Ben, is leaning 18 inches (46 cm) from its original horizontal position and the lean is getting worse every year . Engineers believe the tower is sinking into the banks of the River Thames, most likely due to years of underground excavation for the construction of the London Underground’s Jubilee Line, an underground car park and sewage systems. However, experts aren’t particularly concerned. They say the 0.26-degree list, visible to the naked eye, means it will take 4,000 years for the 315-foot (96m) tower to lean like the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa. And that tower still stands, despite being leaned 4 degrees, or about 12 feet (3.7 m), off level. The House of Commons was due to deal with the matter in 2015, but repair work won’t start until 2020. Aside from the structures mentioned above, the 13th-century sandstone Qutub Minar in Delhi has a 13-inch tilt for the southwest. It is believed to be even steeper due to its foundation and rainwater infiltration, although experts have taken some precautions such as cementing the area with lime.
Read more about the Leaning Tower of London:
Technically, “Big Ben” is the nickname for the bell itself, not the clock tower, which officially became known as the Elizabeth Tower in 2012 in honor of Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee.
If the clock tower of the Palace of Westminster were to eventually fall, it would most likely fall northwards onto a street and into Portcullis House.
The movement of the clock tower and its famous bell has caused cracks in the walls of the House of Commons, including along some corridors where ministers and shadow ministers have offices.
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