AN HISTORIC Bromsgrove clock has been faithfully restored by a Midlands based clock maker.
Smith of Derby has successfully restored the copper dial at St. Mark’s Church in Fairfield.
The project was led by their complex projects manager, Martin Butchers, who oversaw the refurbishment.
The clock before its restoration. s
Upon initial inspection, the clock had stopped working and the copper dial had become weathered and dislodged from the wall of the church by the wind.
The project involved a restoration of the dial back to its original black colour, adorned with gold leaf hands, roman numerals and second marks.
A new clock movement was installed and improvements were made to the attachment method of the dial, ensuring the clock’s stability when attached to the church.
The clock was also painted with both King Charles III’s and late Queen Elizabeth II’s Royal cyphers, in a nod to the church’s wishes of commemorating both the King’s Coronation and the life of service given by the late Queen Elizabeth II.
A plaque detailing the 1953 installation. s
St Mark’s Church originally installed the clock in 1953, the year of late Queen Elizabeth II’s Coronation and it has now been restored and reinstalled in the year of King Charles III’s Coronation.
The timepiece is classified as a public clock and was initially installed on the church as this would have been the tallest building at the time.
Costing over £8000, the project was partly funded by Mrs. Margaret Must in memory of her husband, Chris, however, more money is needed to pay the balance of the refurbishment bill.
“We take great pride in the work we do at Smith of Derby and it has been a privilege to work on the dial at St Mark’s Church” said Martin Butchers.
“This project ensures the dial’s longevity and functionality for the future.”
Wyn Beynon, priest in charge at St. Mark’s, said “The clock face looking out on to the village is a shared community asset.
“It may be on the church building, but it was put there by the village for everyone, and indeed was originally paid for by public subscription.
“We hope you will appreciate the skill of the makers, and those who have beautifully restored the face.
“It has still got an electric mechanism and this new one is exactly the same type as is installed in clocks in Middle Eastern deserts and Siberian snows… but we hope it’s up to British weather.”
Email [email protected] to donate to the clock restoration fund.
