Tuesday, 9th April 2024, saw the historic painted copper clock face of St John’s tower returned to its rightful place after an extensive restoration process. Since its removal on the 12th October last year, Hatherleigh’s much-loved clock face has been in the trusted hands of skilled clockmaker, Symon Boyd of Timsbury Clocks, who has undertaken the meticulous restoration process, resulting in a splendid transformation of the clock face and hands. Despite blustery conditions on the day, the team successfully manoeuvred the clock face up the scaffolding to its home on the south face of the tower.
Since its removal, the stonework surrounding the clock face underwent depointing, repair work and repointing, presenting challenges in locating the original fixing points. However, through careful examination of the faint outlines on the wall, it was possible to identify where the stone had weathered differently, aiding in alignment of the clock face during the reinstallation process.
Symon’s expertise was evident as he carefully aligned the clock face using a plumb line, ensuring it was securely positioned for the hands to move freely once again. The restoration of St John’s clock face stands as a testament to the dedication and craftsmanship of those involved, preserving a cherished piece of our church’s heritage for generations to come.
Our Thanks
We would like to take the opportunity to extend our warmest thanks to those who have generously donated funds to enable us to continue with the ongoing restoration of the church.
These include Heritage Lottery Fund, Garfield Western Foundation, ‘All Churches’, Devon Historic Churches, Archdeacon’s Fund, Wolferstons, Hatherleigh Moor Management Committee, legacy giving, church fundraising, and donations from individuals.
Without these funds, none of what we are doing would be possible. Our thanks also go out to Marian Southwick who has worked tirelessly to coordinate and submit the many grant funding applications needed to make the restoration work at St John’s Church possible.