# Where has Little Ben in Victoria gone?



## Mrs Magpie (Feb 4, 2012)

It was a real shock to see it's disappeared.







All that's left is a bit of the base


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## Maurice Picarda (Feb 4, 2012)

> The Little Ben clock tower is scheduled to be temporarily removed as part of the upgrade works to Victoria Underground Station. It will be reinstated in its present position following the completion of the work.


 
http://www.wessexarch.co.uk/blogs/news/2011/08/31/wessex-archaeology-work-big-bens-little-brother


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## Mrs Magpie (Feb 4, 2012)

That's a relief. I thought for an awful moment it had been nicked.


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## lopsidedbunny (Feb 4, 2012)

So no Mr Strap Dealer then coming along to nick it for spare parts then


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## Minnie_the_Minx (Feb 4, 2012)

Maurice Picarda said:


> http://www.wessexarch.co.uk/blogs/news/2011/08/31/wessex-archaeology-work-big-bens-little-brother


 
I never knew it was gone, but the station extension works would have been my first thought.

I've not been to Victoria for ages.  Really must go to see how it's changed since I worked there


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## boohoo (Feb 4, 2012)

Curiously when they were digging around it the other month, it looked like you could see bits of a corridor or room which was under that piece of pavement.


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## Minnie_the_Minx (Feb 4, 2012)

boohoo said:


> Curiously when they were digging around it the other month, it looked like you could see bits of a corridor or room which was under that piece of pavement.


 
Old disused tube tunnels/station maybe?


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## boohoo (Feb 4, 2012)

Minnie_the_Minx said:


> Old disused tube tunnels/station maybe?


 
Could be - or toilets. Was a bit of white tiling on the walls.


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## Minnie_the_Minx (Feb 4, 2012)

boohoo said:


> Could be - or toilets. Was a bit of white tiling on the walls.


 
Could well be.  Little islands like that often had public toilets on them before they all shut

Damn, I'm going to have to start googling now


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## Minnie_the_Minx (Feb 4, 2012)

hm, it's been there over 100 years and I've found no mention of loos yet

What about that Royal Mail tunnel.  Wonder what the route for that is?


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## Minnie_the_Minx (Feb 4, 2012)

Map here


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## pogofish (Feb 4, 2012)

PO tube was a lot deeper than this place.


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## Minnie_the_Minx (Feb 4, 2012)

pogofish said:


> PO tube was a lot deeper than this place.


 
Oh well, just trying to come up with ideas.

Slight derail, but I came across this page. Victoria Street really got it during WWII

http://www.westendatwar.org.uk/page_id__169_path__0p2p.aspx


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## Minnie_the_Minx (Feb 4, 2012)

Never knew about the French paying for its restoration



> *Little Ben, London Victoria*
> 
> Little Ben is Big Ben's little brother. The miniature version of Big Ben was designed to replicate in a smaller form it's older brother. The resemblance is striking! It was removed in 1964 when the road was widened. In 1981 a French oil company paid for it to be restored and put back as a gesture of friendship from France to Britain. It sits in the middle of the junction of Victoria Street and Vauxhall Bridge Road. Many people walk past it every day without realising it is there. Others use it as a meeting point. To locals Little Ben is "part of the furniture" and sadly, as is the case with a lot of siblings, the younger one is always in the shadow of the older one.


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## Minnie_the_Minx (Feb 4, 2012)

Now what are those railings for?


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## Greebo (Feb 4, 2012)

Minnie_the_Minx said:


> Now what are those railings for? <snip>


At a guess, public toilets, at basement level.


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## Minnie_the_Minx (Feb 4, 2012)

Greebo said:


> At a guess, public toilets, at basement level.


 
I already said that earlier, but can't find any evidence of there having been loos


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## Greebo (Feb 4, 2012)

Minnie_the_Minx said:


> I already said that earlier, but can't find any evidence of there having been loos


Pedestrian underground crossing then?


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## quimcunx (Feb 4, 2012)

Minnie_the_Minx said:


> Now what are those railings for?


 
They look quite toilety railings, or possibly another entry to the tube station.


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## Minnie_the_Minx (Feb 4, 2012)

Greebo said:


> Pedestrian underground crossing then?


 
Don't know.  Possibility.


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## Minnie_the_Minx (Feb 4, 2012)

Where exactly are the loos under Bressenden Place?

Found this:



> It is anticipated that a number of buildings will be demolished during the
> course of the works. For the purpose of this assessment it has been assume
> all of the following will be demolished:
> • 175 to 179 Victoria Street;
> ...


 
I never used any of those subways


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## Hilary at work (Jul 10, 2012)

Little Ben has been put into storage for the duration of the Victoria Station Upgrade (VSU) works, which include construction of a new Underground Ticket Hall at the junction of Bressenden Place and Victoria Street.  This is due to open in Summer 2016, by which time Little Ben will have been reinstated.  Further details about the Upgrade works are available on TfL's website: http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/projectsandschemes/2359.aspx (or by googling 'Victoria Station Upgrade').

Interestingly an Ordnance Survey map of this area from the 1950s shows a "Lav" presumably referring to an underground public toilet, just to the South of the Little Ben Clock Tower, so maybe that's where the white tiles came from.


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## Mrs Magpie (Jul 10, 2012)

Thank you!


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## Minnie_the_Minx (Jul 10, 2012)

But will they renamed Little Ben Little Elizabeth Tower?


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## Hilary at work (Jul 23, 2012)

Little Ben is scheduled to be re-instated in June 2014    Apparently it has been returned to its makers for safe-keeping until then.


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## 19sixtysix (Jul 23, 2012)

It is not the only copy in London. There is the clock tower in south norwood


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## Pickman's model (Jul 23, 2012)

Minnie_the_Minx said:


> But will they renamed Little Ben Little Elizabeth Tower?


of course not. it will be the betty tower.


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## Guineveretoo (Jul 23, 2012)

I walk past the clock at Victoria station pretty much every work day on my way home, and I go past the South Norwood one almost as many times, yet I never knew that one was a copy of the other!


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## RoyReed (Jul 23, 2012)

They don't look that much like the real thing when you look more closely, but I wonder how many Gillett & Johnson made of that model and whether they made the not dissimilar one in Brockwell Park.


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## Guineveretoo (Jul 23, 2012)

Oh gosh, I didn't know that it was called "Little Ben" after that tower, either (just to be pedantic, it's the bell which is Big Ben, not the clocktower, but that doesn't detract from my ignorance).

Fancy there being one in the Seychelles, just like the one near my house, but painted white


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## RoyReed (Jul 23, 2012)

And another very similar one in Blaker's Park, Brighton


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## RoyReed (Jul 23, 2012)

Found out some info on the origins of the Seychelles version:


> The clock tower was made by a firm in Croydon, England, that Messrs. Gillet & Johnston, which had gained good reputation for specialising in making, on commission, that particular kind of clock tower in three different sizes. These were known as "Little Big Bens" because of their obvious similarity to the clock tower of the House of Parliament in London. The clock tower made of cast iron arrived dismantled in nine cases by mail steamer. On February 11, 1903, seven cases arrived, the other two having been mistakenly carried to Mauritius! These arrived on the March 11, 1902 and encountered further mishap. While being transferred from steamer to lighter, one of the "movement weights" with a mass of 60 lbs was dropped overboard. A young blacksmith by the name of Mr Vaudin who was superintendent of public works made an ingenious replacement at the cost of SR15.81. The sum of SR1,200.00 was spent on the foundation work, which took 17 days and was carried out by six workers, four Seychellois and two Indians workers. It is pertinent to note here that during the first decade of the 20th century dozens of immigrants workers from Madras, India were recruited, their physical faculties being put to use in manual labour. The erection of the clock tower took nine days to complete. Winches and pulleys were used to lift up, assemble and connect the various parts. The last rivet of the clock tower was driven on the March 27, 1903. A commemorative plate and wrought iron gate were made at the cost of £300.00 and oil lamps were fixed on the four sides. The clock tower was originally black which made it look more like a giant grandfather's clock made of oak. In the 1940s the Victoria City Council decided that it should be painted with a lustrous silver and its been painted that colour ever since. In the 1960s its four lamps were replaced with new ones which were attached to the structure itself.


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## Gillettjohnston (Jul 24, 2012)

www.gillettjohnston.co.uk has been making and installing clocks, bells and carilons all over the world since 1844 and are very proud of our clock installations.  The Little Ben clock towers are very popular as memorials in Public Parks, Squares etc.  There are lots more all over the world but closer to home examples are located in Blakers Park in Brighton and by the station in Brighton Town.
We would love to be involved in any work that is to carried out on the Little Ben clock tower at Victoria as we are a London based company.


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## Gillettjohnston (Jul 24, 2012)

Minnie_the_Minx said:


> Could well be. Little islands like that often had public toilets on them before they all shut
> 
> Damn, I'm going to have to start googling now


 
The clock towers were often used as a way to disguise the pipes etc coming from public toilets so there is a good chance this was a toilet, I will look into the original order to see I I can find out any more details.


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## Gillettjohnston (Jul 24, 2012)

Hilary at work said:


> Little Ben is scheduled to be re-instated in June 2014  Apparently it has been returned to its makers for safe-keeping until then.


 Unfortunately we have not been asked to look after the clock.


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## Mrs Magpie (Jul 24, 2012)

Gillettjohnston said:


> Unfortunately we have not been asked to look after the clock.


That's really sad, but not surprising...this country is now all about the cost of everything and the value of nothing.


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## Guineveretoo (Jul 24, 2012)

Gosh, how on earth did it come about that the clock maker was reading this thread? 

Disappointed to hear that the Victoria clock is not with the company, though. I wonder where it is?  I looked last night, and couldn't see the base, even...


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## Mrs Magpie (Jul 24, 2012)

Guineveretoo said:


> Gosh, how on earth did it come about that the clock maker was reading this thread?


The company name has been mentioned beforehand.


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## Guineveretoo (Jul 24, 2012)

Mrs Magpie said:


> The company name has been mentioned beforehand.


Yes, but I am still surprised that someone from the company was reading the thread, saw their name mentioned, and joined in order to contribute. 

Maybe it is not that surprising, but it surprised me!


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## Mrs Magpie (Jul 24, 2012)

More likely googling company name.


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## Mrs Magpie (Jul 24, 2012)

I would if I were a long-established firm that made things that were built to last. I bet there are people who post things on t'interweb like 





> I have inherited a lovely but battered Gillet & Johnston clock. Does anyone know anything about how I'd go about getting it cleaned and restoring it?


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## RoyReed (Jul 24, 2012)

More likely me emailing them to find out more on the history of the clocks and mentioning this thread. The restoration is actually being carried out by the Built Heritage Team at Wessex Archaeology.


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## Guineveretoo (Jul 24, 2012)

Ah - the mystery solved


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## Guineveretoo (Jul 24, 2012)

Although they claim to be in Croydon, their address is in Bletchingley, which is not actually in Croydon. I think that is a shame, because they are not as local as I thought they were, but I am also amused that someone would claim to be in Croydon when they are not. It's more often the other way round, as people claim to be in Surrey when they are, in fact, in the London Borough of Croydon!


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## pratibha Sharma (Feb 29, 2016)

All, who were curious to know when the little ben will come back, I am happy to announce that Little Ben is now back. It was totally refurbished with new paint and decoration and reinstalled at Little Ben Island on 28th February 2016.


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## Pickman's model (Feb 29, 2016)

RoyReed said:


> View attachment 21391
> They don't look that much like the real thing when you look more closely, but I wonder how many Gillett & Johnson made of that model and whether they made the not dissimilar one in Brockwell Park.


they're about 300' shorter for a start


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## Guineveretoo (Feb 29, 2016)

pratibha Sharma said:


> All, who were curious to know when the little ben will come back, I am happy to announce that Little Ben is now back. It was totally refurbished with new paint and decoration and reinstalled at Little Ben Island on 28th February 2016.


Good to know, not least because I no longer walk past this every day, so missed its return


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## BMorty (Aug 19, 2021)

Guineveretoo said:


> Good to know, not least because I no longer walk past this every day, so missed its return


I've enhanced and blown up the old photo with the railings and it clearly shows a sign stating Gentlemen's Lavatory.


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## BMorty (Aug 19, 2021)

I Forgot to attach the picture.


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## Bahnhof Strasse (Aug 28, 2021)

Weymouth


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## Epona (Sep 3, 2021)

Bahnhof Strasse said:


> Weymouth
> 
> View attachment 285719



That is the technicolor version!!!


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