Beatrice Lang
Big Ben, the name commonly associated with the Elizabeth Tower at the northern end of the Houses of Parliament in Westminster, Central London, is a tower clock known for its accuracy and massive bell. The clock was designed by Edmund Beckett Denison and Sir George Airy and was constructed by Edward John Dent and Frederick Dent. Before electricity, the clock dials and Ayrton Light were illuminated by gas jets. The Ayrton Light, installed in 1892, was an early use of the direct current dynamo developed by Belgian inventor Zenobe Gramme. The clock dials and Ayrton Light were turned off during World War II to prevent German bombers from using the illuminated tower as a landmark to navigate London skies.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| First street lighting in London powered by electricity | 1878 |
| First Commissioner of Works who suggested the idea of a signal light near the top of the clock tower | Acton Smee Ayrton |
| The direct current dynamo used in the tower was developed by | Zenobe Gramme, a Belgian inventor |
| The permanent 'Ayrton Light' was installed by | J. Edmundson & Co., London |
| The Ayrton Light was initially powered by | Gas jets |
| The Ayrton Light was converted to electricity | 1903 |
| Clock dial lighting was changed from gas to electricity | 1906 |
| The Ayrton Light is undergoing an upgrade to | LED lights |
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What You'll Learn
Early electric light experiments in the upper gallery
In the 1870s, early experiments with electric light generation were conducted in the upper gallery of the Big Ben tower, between the two sections of the roof. Acton Smee Ayrton, the First Commissioner of Works between 1869 and 1873, proposed the idea of using a signal light near the top of the clock tower to illuminate the streets of Westminster below and signal to MPs when the House was sitting. This was one of the early uses of the direct current dynamo developed by Belgian inventor Zenobe Gramme, and it successfully shone a powerful light onto the streets below.
The 'Ayrton Light', as it came to be known, was eventually permanently installed by J. Edmundson & Co., London in 1892, using a Wigham lighthouse lamp. Despite the success of the electric light experiments, the commercial supply of electricity was still some years away. As a result, the Ayrton Light was initially powered by gas jets.
The Ayrton Light was a significant addition to the tower, and it served multiple purposes. Firstly, it illuminated the streets of Westminster, making them safer and more navigable during the night. Secondly, it served as a signal to Members of Parliament (MPs), indicating when the House of Commons was sitting after dark. This made it easier for MPs to keep track of the House's schedule and ensured their timely attendance.
The light was so important that during the Second World War, it was turned off, along with the lights behind the clock dials, to prevent German bombers from easily navigating the London sky. This decision was made because the large building had become a recognisable landmark that could assist enemy bombers in locating their targets. The lights remained off until the end of the war in 1945.
In 1903, the Ayrton Light was converted to electricity, and in 1906, the clock dial lighting was changed from gas to electricity as well. Over a century later, the Ayrton Light is still in use and is being upgraded to LED lights as part of the current conservation project to reduce the tower's environmental impact.
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The 'Ayrton Light' powered by gas jets
The Ayrton Light, a lantern-like structure at the top of the Elizabeth Tower, was installed in 1885. It shines whenever either House of Parliament sits after dark. It is said that the light was requested by Queen Victoria so that she could see from Buckingham Palace when members of either the Commons or the Lords were sitting after dark. The light was named after Acton Smee Ayrton, a Liberal politician who was First Commissioner of Works between 1869 and 1873.
The permanent Ayrton Light was installed by J. Edmundson & Co., London, in 1892, using a Wigham lighthouse lamp. Despite the earlier experiments with electric light being successful, the Ayrton Light was initially powered by gas jets as commercial electricity supply was not possible. In 1903, the Ayrton Light was converted to electricity, and a few years later, so too was the clock dial lighting in 1906.
Since its installation in the 1890s, the Ayrton Light has been illuminated when the House of Lords or Commons sits after dark. The light was originally intended to illuminate the streets of Westminster and alert MPs when the House was sitting. In an early use of the direct current dynamo, a powerful light shone from the tower onto the streets below.
The Ayrton Light has undergone restoration work as part of an ongoing conservation project. The light will be upgraded to LED lights to reduce the tower's environmental impact. The repair works were carried out by Shepley Engineers, a company whose Sheffield workshop played an essential role in restoring this important historical structure.
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London's first street lighting powered by electricity
Before the introduction of electricity, London's streets were dimly lit, with lanterns and moonlight providing some illumination. The first public street lighting in London was demonstrated on January 28, 1807, by Frederick Albert Winsor, who installed 13 gas lamps along Pall Mall. By the 1820s, over 40,000 gas lamps lit 215 miles of London's streets, revolutionising social life and providing a deterrent to crime.
The use of electricity for lighting began with British engineer Frederick Hale Holmes, who patented an electric arc lamp in 1846. Holmes, along with Michael Faraday, also pioneered the electrical illumination of lighthouses in the 1850s and 1860s. Arc lighting was expensive and complicated, making it unsuitable for domestic use, but it was adopted for street lighting in Paris in the 1870s. These street lights, known as 'Yablochkov candles', were invented by Russian Pavel Yablochkov.
In Britain, Joseph Swan was a key figure in the development of electric lighting, installing his lights at Cragside House in Northumberland in 1878. The following year, Mosley Street in Newcastle became the first street in the world to be illuminated by electric light. Thomas Edison, who was working simultaneously on his own light bulbs, joined forces with Swan to form the Swan and Edison Company.
It was only after World War I that electricity became commonplace in British homes, with the establishment of the National Grid and improvements in lightbulbs. London's transition to electric street lighting was gradual, with gas lamps still in use in many parts of the city as late as the 1930s. Today, London retains a legacy of its gas-lit past, with approximately 1500 gas lamps still maintained by British Gas engineers.
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The Ayrton Light converted to electricity
The Ayrton Light, a lantern-like structure at the top of the Elizabeth Tower, was installed in 1885. It shines whenever either House of Parliament sits after dark. The light was requested by Queen Victoria so that she could see from Buckingham Palace when members of either the Commons or the Lords were sitting after dark.
The light was initially powered by gas jets, as the commercial supply of electricity was not possible. However, in 1903, the Ayrton Light was converted to electricity. This conversion was made possible by the work of Hertha Ayrton, a pioneering female engineer. Despite facing significant obstacles due to her gender and background as the child of a poor Jewish immigrant, Hertha persevered and made significant contributions to the field of electrical engineering. She collaborated with her husband, Will Ayrton, on electrical research and developed a theory relating the length of an electric arc to current and voltage. This theory became important in the development of electric lighting, and she published numerous articles and a book on the subject.
Her work in electrical engineering extended beyond theory, and she held multiple patents in this field. One of her most notable inventions was a device that allowed a line to be easily subdivided into equal parts, aiding artists, engineers, and architects. She also worked on improving arcs for the Royal Navy's searchlights, further showcasing her expertise in lighting technology.
The conversion of the Ayrton Light to electricity was a significant milestone, and a few years later, in 1906, the clock dial lighting was also converted to electric power. As part of ongoing conservation and restoration efforts, the Ayrton Light will be upgraded to LED lights to reduce the tower's environmental impact while still maintaining its historical integrity.
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Wartime blackout regulations
The practice of blackout regulations dates back to the early 20th century. As early as 1913, Winston Churchill, then First Lord of the Admiralty, drew up plans to black out British coastal towns in the event of war. These plans were implemented in August 1914, shortly after the United Kingdom entered World War I. In 1915, the German strategic bombing campaign led ordinary citizens in towns without official blackouts to take matters into their own hands, smashing street lamps to reduce the risk of attracting air raids. By February 1916, blackout restrictions were extended to the entirety of England.
During World War II, blackout regulations were once again enforced. On September 1, 1939, before the official declaration of war, these regulations were imposed, requiring all windows and doors to be covered at night with heavy curtains, cardboard, or paint to prevent any light from escaping. External lights, such as streetlights, were switched off or dimmed, and essential lights like traffic signals and vehicle headlights were fitted with slotted covers to deflect their beams downward.
Big Ben, a prominent London landmark, was not exempt from these measures. The tower was darkened during the Blitz, with the clock's accuracy and chiming continuing despite the blackout. On May 10, 1941, an air raid by the Luftwaffe damaged two of the dials and sections of the tower's roof, but the clock kept running. The blackout regulations remained in place until Hitler's suicide on April 30, 1945, marking the end of World War II. On this day, Big Ben was illuminated, symbolising the return of peace and the lifting of the blackout restrictions.
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Frequently asked questions
Before electricity, Big Ben was lit by gas jets. The Ayrton Light, installed in 1892, was powered by gas jets until it was converted to electricity in 1903.
The Ayrton Light is a powerful light that was installed in the upper gallery of the clock tower in the 1870s. It was an early use of the direct current dynamo developed by Belgian inventor Zenobe Gramme.
The light was used to illuminate the streets of Westminster below and to alert MPs when the House was sitting.
The Ayrton Light was turned off during World War II, from 1939 to 1945, as it made the Palace of Westminster too easy to spot for German bombers. It was turned back on in April 1945 when the wartime blackout regulations were lifted.
Yes, the Ayrton Light is still in use. It is currently being upgraded to LED lights as part of a conservation project to reduce the tower's environmental impact.
