Big Ben's Western Dial Stops at Noon for Weatherproofing Repairs in London

Dial Stoppage Begins The western dial of the Big Ben clockface in the Elizabeth Tower, Westminster, London, stopped at 12 noon.

The western dial freeze first came into effect early on Sunday morning. Engineers disconnected a section of the mechanism to carry out weatherproofing repairs to the western face. 15am. The hands on the Elizabeth Tower's West Dial stopped at 8am on Saturday April 11, the UK Parliament stated.

The hands on the Elizabeth Tower's West Dial will restart on Tuesday 21 April. The stoppage is to allow for repairs to weatherproofing around the dial face, the UK Parliament stated. The repairs are to the dial face, not the clock itself.

The West Dial has to be stopped to protect the dial mechanism during the repairs.

Recent Restoration History A five-year, £80 million restoration of the Elizabeth Tower completed in 2022.

The restoration included repairs to the clock mechanism. The restoration included changes to the colour scheme on the four clock faces to Victorian blue and gold. The restoration included reinstating St George's Cross flag emblems.

The restoration introduced a new lift for accessibility improvements. The original budget for the restoration was estimated at £29 million to £45 million.

Tower Background The Elizabeth Tower is 160 years old.

The bells of Big Ben have been ringing for over 160 years.