LONDON (AA) – London’s iconic Big Ben clock tower is to fall silent for perhaps the longest period in its 157-year history for essential repairs.
The House of Commons announced the bell would be silenced for several months in order to allow for the replacement the clock’s faces as well as its mechanism.
The clock tower has always chimed every 15 minutes with only brief interruptions to its service since the Big Ben bell was installed in 1859.
A House of Commons spokeswoman said: “The clock mechanism will need to be stopped for several months in order to carry out essential maintenance.
“During this period there will be no chimes. We are also investigating whether or not the chiming will have an effect on operatives working at high level, which will need to be taken into consideration.
“Striking and tolling will be maintained for important events.”
Scaffolding will surround the UNESCO World Heritage site once the works begin in 2017 to allow the replacement of clock parts and other building work in the 96-meter tower.
The Big Ben chimes are a quintessential part of British culture. They are for instance used to mark the arrival of the new year on television and broadcast daily on BBC radio since 1924.
The spokeswoman said she could not yet confirm to Anadolu Agency whether the works would be the longest in Big Ben’s history, but added they would take many months.
The clock’s only breakdown in its long history occurred in 1976, causing 26 days of disruption over nine months.
The chimes have been stopped only a few times in its history, in particular during the First World War to prevent German airships from locating the Houses of Parliament.
