The external face of the Cathedral Clock serves as a focal point on the North Transept and attracts interest from locals and visitors the year round. But over time, deterioration has caused the decorative form and finishes to degrade, with increasing risk of irreparable decay and loss.

Since its fabrication in c. 1475,  it has undergone many phases of redecoration and repair, with many previous schemes and layers preserved beneath the present face as a valuable and unique record of the clock’s history.

The upcoming conservation works will preserve as much as possible of the historic painted layers while allowing a recreation of a more original scheme than the current mid-20th Century interpretation, as approved by Chapter from a range of schemes prepared by the Cathedral Architect, Nick Cox Architects.

Scaffolding will remain in place until mid-November while careful cleaning, consolidation, repair, replacement, and refinishing of each element of the clock is undertaken by the appointed specialist contractor, Cliveden Conservation.

Watch this space for more details as the works progress.

Jez Fry, Clerk of the Works