The Cambridge Town Clock will chime once again with the refurbishment project now
complete.
Work started in January to restore and automate the registered, Category Two Historic
Structure. This included clock servicing, automation, hands and face refurbishment, and
restoration of roofing, internal and external surfaces, steelwork, electrical and rendering.
Property Services Manager, David Varcoe, said the condition of the tower had deteriorated
over a long period of time and restoration work needed to be done to restore the renowned
clock and tower back to its original condition.
“From an external view, it may look like not much has changed, but that is the point. We
wanted to keep the clock’s character, and much of the work was highly detailed and inside
the tower."
Before the refurbishment, staff had to climb the ladder inside the tower and manually wind
the clock every week, sometimes multiple times a week. It also needed specialist attention
up to twice a month to keep the time accurate and to ensure the chimes rang.
"As part of the restoration efforts, measures were taken to prevent water getting into the
clock mechanism. Last year, we encountered an issue where moisture was causing the
clock chime to go off randomly and affecting its functionality."
“This automation will massively reduce staff and specialist time to keep the clock ticking,
saving costs in the long run.”
Two new floodlights have also been installed to light up the clock in various colours. This can
be utilised as a visual display to support commemoration of national and local events.
The chimes will return at 6pm tonight (Monday, July 15) and the tower will be lit for the week.
