Big Ben's bold new look: The restored hands of the clock on Elizabeth Tower are seen in their original Prussian blue. Photo / Getty Images

Thomas Bywater is a writer and digital producer for Herald Travel

Big Ben has undergone a big restoration. After four years under scaffolding, Londoners were surprised to see the clock face on the Thames was painted gold and blue.

The face of London's most famous clock tower has had a makeover in its original Victorian colour scheme.

The Prussian blue dial has been revealed just in time for the New Year and is the first time many have seen the Queen Elizabeth tower since it was silenced in 2017.

The most extensive restoration in its 162-year history, the building on the side of the Houses of Parliament has wound the clock back to 1859, when the clock was painted in the red, white and blue colours of the Union flag.

Years of grime and had dulled the face of the tower. In The 1930s Westminster thought the dials were looking shabby due to air pollution and decided to 'paint it black'.

While it was stopped for restoration in 2017, the Parliament Architecture and Heritage team decided the time had come to restore the original look.

"It has been a privilege working on such an iconic building and being able to see the historic colours unfold," said researcher Rhiannon Clarricoates, who worked on the authentic Prussian blue colour scheme.

"It was fantastic to work with the in-house teams at Parliament, as well as Purcell, Sir Robert McAlpine, and Cliveden Conservation to pull all of the various pieces of evidence together which then allowed us to see how this magnificent building would have originally appeared."

The Palace of Westminster, which houses the UK's Parliament, is one of the most-visited paid tourist attractions in the country.

Also called "Pugin's Palace" for architect Augustus Pugin, the building has many names, but is instantly recognisable.

Often called Big Ben, this nickname was given to the "Great Bell of the Clock of Westminster", in honour of Sir Benjamin Hall who oversaw its construction.

All running to plan, the rest of the building will be ready for the end of the year when the clock's temporary electric mechanism will be switched off, and the bells will be struck again.

"By New Year people will start to see a big difference; they'll start to get their tower back," project manager Nicholas Sturge told Reuters.