Big Ben but not as we know it

A 72ft replica of Big Ben has been constructed out of straw, in rural Cheshire by two enterprising businessmen, to mark the 150th anniversary of Big Ben chiming for the first time at the new Palace of Westminster in London. Chris Sadler, the director of Snugbury's Ice Cream Parlour, and Mike Harper, owner of Harbrook Engineering, have erected the structure at Park Farm, near the A51 road close to Nantwich.

The image above is ©Ray Bradbury. The Cheshire version of the famous London clock tower has been constructed from over 500 bales of hay around a five-tonne steel frame. Unlike the London version of St Stephen's Tower, there are only two clock faces on the straw version - both of which face the road.

The structure will stand in the field until after Christmas. It is surrounded by a fence and protected by security guards, in order to deter any would be climbers.

Mr Sadler has also promised to donate a percentage of sales of Big Ben shaped ice cream cones from Snugbury's Ice Cream Parlour on the farm to the Kids Company charity.

Mr Harper and Mr Sadler have teamed up over a number of years to create giant straw replicas of British architectural icons. Previous icons to undergo the straw treatment include: Jodrell Bank telescope, the Millennium Dome and the Angel of the North.

Visitors to London can hear more about the history of St Stephen's Clock Tower, which contains the giant bell nicknamed Big Ben, with the Palace Trail London travel guide.

Nantwich is approximately twenty miles from Chester, where reputedly the second most photographed timepiece in the world - after the clock faces of St Stephen's Tower in London - can be found. Independent travellers can get to grips with Chester on foot with the Chester Revealed audio tour and see the Eastgate Clock (pictured above) in all its glory. To hear an audio sample from the Chester Revealed tour please click here.

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