TONGUE OF BIG BEN

The Co-Operative Society buildings formerly the site of Hopper Houses, home of George Hopper who founded the famous foundry and axle crank factory, long disappeared. These works extended from Sunderland Street to Hopper Square.

There used to be a wagon way-way from there passing by the Grey Horse lane across Newbottle Street to Hoppers other establishment at Colliery Row on a site now occupied by Messrs. George Graham Ltd. (now the B & S) Behind Mr. Hopper’s house there still remains the old forge and smith’s shop where the Tongue of Big Ben was made.

It seemed the original tongue of the famous clock at Westminster had not been satisfactory, cracking and splintering. This fact came to the notice of Sir George Elliott, the Member of Parliament for North Durham. He told the authority at Westminster that he knew where they could get a new Big Ben Tongue, and one morning the postman delivered a letter at Hoppers office in which there was a drawing of the tongue of Big Ben. Word was sent to the forge, and John Thornton, the forgeman, made the tongue and brought fame to himself and to Houghton. (Fence Houses) It is this same tongue which marks the hours we hear so frequently over the radio.

An extract taken from Houghton le Spring A History by Frank H Rushford

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