CONSERVING THE HANDS OF TIME Wednesday, 23 September 2020
A conservation project has begun to safeguard the Clock Tower in the heart of the Market Place.
The works will be undertaken by local company Vest Construction, based in Bishop Auckland. They will be supported by specialist heritage contractors, including Classic Masonry and Smith of Derby, who manufactured and installed the arch’s current clock mechanism in 1927. Local-based electrical engineers R Lightfoot will also be involved.
The Clock Tower was designed by Sir Thomas Robinson for Bishop Richard Trevor in 1760 and has remained largely unaltered ever since. The Grade I listed structure is now in a poor condition, having suffered from a lack of fabric maintenance in recent decades.
A full programme of conservation work is proposed to preserve the building for the future, including extensive masonry, timber repairs and the restoration of the clock face, mechanism and weathervane.