The famous chimes of London's Big Ben will fall silent next year as the 160-year-old parliamentary clock tower undergoes essential repairs (as part of a 29 million-pound project.)

The tower will be partially covered in scaffolding for three years, although engineers plan to keep at least (one of the four clock faces) always visible. The bells will fall silent for several months, chiming only for important events, according to a House of Commons statement.

The famous chimes of London's Big Ben will fall silent next year as the 160-year-old parliamentary clock tower undergoes essential repairs (as part of a 29 million-pound project.)

The last (significant repair work) on Big Ben was in 1983-85, and both the clock and its 96-metre tower now urgently need attention again.

The project also aims to restore the (clock face surrounds) to their original colours as designed in 1856 by architects Charles Barry and Augustus Pugin. The current black and gold surrounds were painted during the 1980s refurbishment. Big Ben was last silenced in 2013 in obsequy to former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.