Turret clocks celebrated We are huge fans of public clocks and admire the prominent turret clock at the National Trust venue, Knole House, Sevenoaks, Kent. The property is a remarkably preserved early Jacobean remodelling of a medieval archbishop's palace. During the Tudor dynasty it became a royal residence when Henry VIII hunted there and found it to be a good home for his daughter - later to become Mary I. The clock was originally added in the early 18th century, and has recently undergone extensive conservation work, including the replacement of its four dials. The original faces were made of wood with lead encapsulation but new dials were manufactured with marine plywood backboards and stainless steel plates. We were fascinated to learn that the Cumbria Clock Company made the replacement dials and fitted new winding units. The mechanism is a two-train, wrought-iron cage clock, dating from the early 1700s, with count wheel controlled striking, and its escapement was converted to deadbeat by Gillet & Bland in the 1860s. The bell above the clock has the date 1609. Equally exciting is knowing that the Antiquarian Horological Society (AHS) has a very active Turret Clock Group. These AHS members share an interest in all turret clocks and public timekeeping, from the early beginnings in the 14th century, through industrial clocks, up to relatively modern synchronous and impulse driven dials. There are regular meetings, tours and activities. A greater knowledge, interest and preservation in turret clocks is the aim. The AHS Turret Clock Database is the largest and most detailed record dedicated to such clocks in the public realm. It currently holds more than 7,500 entries, comprising installations across the United Kingdom and Ireland plus some overseas locations. It includes information on clocks, their makers, dates, locations, dimensions and more, often enhanced with images. Despite its size, the database could expand as there are thousands of clocks still unrecorded so a volunteer effort is underway to record the details of additional clocks and then to input and moderate new entries to the database. If you think you can play a role, please contact the AHS Secretary.
