Nottingham St Mary

Clock

One of the faces of
the tower clock

The Tower Clock

The lower lights on the east and west faces of the tower are shortened, and the string mouldings uplifted in the centre, so as to form panels for the two dials of the clock. The original clock was made by Thomas Hardy of Nottingham in 1807, later replaced with one by Cope.

The current clock is a 1932 Cope, electric auto-wind, electric chime & strike, ting-tang (2 bell) chime. It was the first of the all-electric Cope clocks ever made and became the Cope standard from 1932 onwards. It was converted from DC to AC in 1959 when the Lace Market was converted.

The east facing clock face has a painted mahogany face and the west face is painted lead. The clock chimes sounded in the tower until 1980 when, with the addition of two new ringing bells and major alterations to the frame, the clock hammers were disconnected.

An earlier clock made by Rowe of Epperstone and sold to Dr Staunton for his church at Staunton for £10, was situated in the window of the south transept.

Bracket Clock

On the wall in the north aisle is an eighteenth century clock of an unusual and rare design having a duration of 32 days between windings. It is a type of clock generally known as a ‘tavern clock’ as it was commonly hung in coaching inns, taverns or public places. However, the style later became known as an ‘Act of Parliament Clock’ when for a very short period in 1797 such clocks were subject to a tax of five shillings. Originally in the clergy vestry but then moved to the nave, this clock was found to be in a very poor state of repair and was restored by a member of the parish. More recently, the clock ceased to function and in 2025 the Friends of St Mary’s funded the cost of restoration.