Today marks the unveiling of two remarkable clocks at the Science Museum.

The redisplay of the Wells Cathedral clock mechanism and the barograph clock by Alexander Cumming in the Making the Modern World gallery will enable these two highly significant devices to be seen in the wider context of the history of industrialisation.

The Wells Cathedral clock is one of the world’s oldest clock mechanisms while the barograph clock was used to make some of the world’s first urban climate studies.

The Wells Cathedral clock mechanism has been lent to the Science Museum by the Chapter of Wells Cathedral where the clock face resides. The barograph clock was acquired with Art Fund support (with a contribution from The Wolfson Foundation).

Mechanical clocks were first invented in the late 13th century and the survival of the original mechanism from Wells Cathedral, believed to have been made in about 1390 when such machines were still new technology, is remarkable. It is thought to have been constructed by the same makers as the clock at Salisbury Cathedral which, dating from 1386, is the oldest known surviving clock.

The mechanism of the Wells clock has been displayed in South Kensington since the late 19th century, when it was replaced at the Cathedral by a newer device. Visitors will now be able to observe more clearly than before the clock chiming the quarter hours and striking each hour as it has done over the last 600 years.

 

NEWSLETTER

Be the first to know what's on in London, and the latest news published on ianVisits.

You can unsubscribe at any time from my weekly emails.

Tagged with:
SUPPORT THIS WEBSITE

This website has been running now for over a decade, and while advertising revenue contributes to funding the website, it doesn't cover the costs. That is why I have set up a facility with DonorBox where you can contribute to the costs of the website and time invested in writing and research for the news articles.

It's very similar to the way The Guardian and many smaller websites are now seeking to generate an income in the face of rising costs and declining advertising.

Whether it's a one-off donation or a regular giver, every additional support goes a long way to covering the running costs of this website, and keeping you regularly topped up doses of Londony news and facts.

If you like what you read on here, then please support the website here.

Thank you

Home >> News >> London exhibitions