The Return of Seal Church Clock

Gillet and Johnston took the clock away in November – no mean feat in its own right as it meant taking it completely apart, carrying it down the narrow tower stairs and then whisking it away to their repair rooms. At the same time we discovered that the floor under the clock was rotten and so in a rush got <x> to replace a number of floor boards ready for the clocks return.

Over the 3 days 7, 8, and 9 January 2025 Gillet and Johntson, in the form of Barry (who has serviced the clock for years) and Shane, came back with the refurbished clock all in parts and lugged it back up the same steep stairs (that took a day after which Barry said he’d had enough) and re-assembled it.

There were some hiccups on the way (several parts were not quite right, needed repair and so they had to take them back back to the repair rooms but they returned with them each time, mended the same day) and then completed the assembly, including the chiming mechanism, and then set it up so that it kept time replacing the old (but wonderful old pennies on a balance) with some easier to use screw-weights on the pendulum. We need to find someone small and agile to get to them mind …

Then they spent time to show us what needed to be done to maintain it and keep it in time. Paul was kept very busy keeping notes and photos and videos.

In all the clock was a major expenditure and project. We’d like to thank all those who so generously contributed to the cost of repair and and especially thanks to Paul who oversaw the entire project, from when it broke down, getting the approval from the diocese to proceed, raising funds and then the removal and re-assembly.

One of the reasons that it took so long was the red tape. It took considerable effort to get Diocesan approval to repair the clock using the firm that has serviced the clock for years, Gillet and Johnston who are one of a very few remaining clock repairers in the country. And then of course we had to wait until they were were ready to repair it – they’ve quite a queue of work … thank you everyone in Seal and everyone who contributed to the repair and to everyone else who missed it for your patience. We are so delighted it is back

A huge amount of effort under the covers went on to get this project done. Thank you, Paul.

A few photos below are just a small reminder of all that happened as the clock came back …

And at last you can hear it chime again … it was a windy day as you can hear it chime for midday … press “play” below.

Here are a few photos …

And if you wondered what the view from the top of the tower was like …