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Big Ben Gets Its Clock Cleaned

A team of technicians descend London's famous landmark by rope to clean and inspect its four clock faces.
Image:  Great Clock atop the landmark Elizabeth Tower
Technicians carry out cleaning and maintenance work on one of the faces of the Great Clock atop the landmark Elizabeth Tower that houses Big Ben on Tuesday. BEN STANSALL / AFP - Getty Images

A team of technicians work on one of the faces of London’s Great Clock atop the landmark Elizabeth Tower that houses the famous Big Ben bell on Tuesday. The specialists descend the famous landmark by rope to clean and inspect the four clock faces.

The clock was last serviced in 2010 and besides cleaning up any dirt that has accumulated since then, the experts will conduct a photographic survey to check the dials for damage.