St Peter's Clock Face removed for restoration - back in a month

Don’t expect to look at St Peter’s Church clock to get a fix of the time for the next few weeks – it will be faceless! Or rather the face that has looked out on to the town from the tower of St Peter’s for the past one hundred and thirty seven years won’t be there. But the clock behind it will, so will the regular chimes

As part of the ongoing restoration works to St Peter’s, this morning – Thursday 1 July – the face of the clock, dating back to 1884 was removed to be restored and re-gilded. Likewise the hands, which date back even further to the previous face installed in 1803.

The Cumbria Clock Company were contracted to remove the copper convex clock face and dial motion from the tower, a process that involved the use of ropes from the top of the tower and done without any need for the use of scaffolding.

Pics below show the process, some taken from ground level but many from a drone operated by Pete Davies of Marlborough Photo Services.

Also clear in some of the pics (see lead pic above) is the national flag of Canada, raised and flying to mark Canada Day 2021.