St Teath Clock
The clock, a memorial to the dead of St Teath in wars, is an enduring feature of the village. It was unveiled in December 18, 1920 by Mrs J C Williams of Caerhays and stands prominently in The Square. The stone was from a local quarry and given by Mr A Beer, and the slate was given by the Old Delabole Slate Co.
Laying the foundation stones of the war memorial clock in The Square, 1920. Photo: Brenda Burnard
The clock cost £390 and was constructed by voluntary labour, from a design by Mr Oswald Swete, manager of Treburgett Mine. Everyone in the village will be familiar with the outside, but not many have seen the inside. Click on the pictures to expand them.
The Clock from South West
Lives commemorated
The clock is driven by clockwork. The mechanism relies on a large weight which descends from near the top of the clock tower to a basement about 6 feet below road level over a period of 6 days. The bell is similarly driven. The clock currently loses about 1 minute over the 6 day period. Some 50 turns of a large handle will bring weights to the top of the tower again. Hover over arrow to hear clock strike and mechanism run (you must have sound enabled and Flash player installed).
Bell - striker at top
Clock mechanism
As the 1930 instructions for the clock show, one old penny added to the weight can compensate for one minute of time. One interesting result of this mechanism is that when the weight descended on the Christmas lighting gear stored in the basement, time stood still and the clock was slow.
Many thanks to Paul Burden, clock winder, for showing us how time passes in St Teath.
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