 Shelford
St Peter and St Paul
Clock
The earliest reference so far found is to a one-fingered clock made by Richard
Roe of Epperstone which, according to the Victorian jottings of William Walker,
was bought in 1680. In 1704 the churchwardens took out a ten-year contract for
repairs to the clock “except anything be broken wilfully” for 3s
a year with John Row of Bingham. After seven years, however, a new contract
was taken out with George East of Gunthorpe for 3s 6d a year, with a similar
“ill-usage” exclusion clause. A note on the wall of the ground floor
bell ringing chamber seen in 1903, recorded that this clock was newly faced
in 1837. In February 1838 the churchwardens paid Mr Hood of Bingham £3
for painting and gilding the new dial. It was repaired by William Walker during
Easter week in 1868. After it was replaced in 1880, part of the works with a
rose cut on the frame were reared up at the west end of the north aisle, but
disappeared between J T Godfrey’s visits of 1885 and 1907.
The new two-faced clock, installed on 24 March 1880, was made by G&F
Cope of Nottingham and cost £120, with masonry, joinery and other expenses
coming to a further £37 7s 6d. The money was raised by public
subscription. A payment of £4 early in 1912 for work carried out by G&F
Cope caused a clock fund to be started by the churchwardens and a maintenance
contract taken out for 30s a year. This, however, did not cover a new set of
chiming hammer work in 1919, necessitated by the repositioning of bells. The
vicar led an appeal to cover the shortfall of £35. In 1925 the clock was
re-gilded and cleaned for a further £8. Cleaning and repairs by Messrs
Cope came to £35 10s in 1947, but the chiming apparatus was still
giving trouble in 1956. In 2000 it was provided with an electric mechanism.
The clock is generally reliable today and still chimes the hours.
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