Maintenance to quiet Big Ben

Published 9:00 pm Thursday, October 27, 2005

LONDON – The tolling of Big Ben will not be heard this weekend during its longest maintenance shutdown in 22 years.

Engineers will examine the clock in the tower of Westminster Palace while workers from Whitechapel Bell Foundry replace the rubber hammer buffers on three of the four quarter bells, the Westminster chimes, and on Big Ben, the 13-ton bell that tolls on the hour.

After the buffers are replaced, the bells must be retuned, which takes several hours, the announcement said.

The clock will be stopped after 8 a.m. Saturday and is not expected to restart until 4 p.m. Sunday.