The clock mechanism sits in the original bell-chamber at the top of the tower, above the bell-frame. The original 1863 mechanism (manufacturer unknown) is still in use. It was supplemented by an 'Ellacombes Chiming Apparatus' in 1896 to strike the hours. Both the clock and the chiming mechanism were overhauled and an electrically powered winding mechanism added in 2001, funded by the Friends of St Mary. Prior to this, the clock had to be wound by hand every week. |
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The plaque hangs on the South wall of the tower. It commemorates the donation of the clock to St Mary's by the Smythe family in 1863, just after the restoration of the church interior had been completed. Though it looks like wood, it is actually metal, possibly done by the same artist as the clock face. Let's have a closer look at the bell tower. |