York Debtors prison clock restored to former glory with our small grant

It was just a few months ago that we awarded one of our grants to York Museums & Gallery Trust to help restore the Debtors Prison Clock.

The grant has played a key role in the restoration of the rare one-handed clock, positioned in the central tower of York Castle Museum (formally York Debtors Prison). The clock, designed by John Terry of York, dates back to 1705.  It is regularly wound by a dedicated team of volunteers. Although still functioning for public use, it had been deteriorating rapidly. The most noticeable issue was the peeling paint and faded delicate gold leaf, making it hard for the public to tell the time, and making the clock vulnerable to further damage.

Specialists were commissioned to reapply gold leaf to the clock’s numerals and the face has been repainted in blue and black and weather-proofed.

As well as being popular with local people the clock is a significant feature of a piece of local history. York Castle Museum was a purpose-built Debtors Prison (1701 – 1705) and was recorded as the first of its kind in the north of England. The clock overlooks what would have once been the prisoners’ exercise yard.

The restoration work has been featured on the BBC and evoked memories from the local community who shared personal stories on a local Facebook group about family connections with the historic clock. There was also local speculation about why the clock only had one hand. Apparently, it was very common in the eighteenth-century and earlier. It’s been suggested that, as life moved at a slower pace then, most people didn’t need to know the time of day to the minute.

The project is a great example of the power of a small Pilgrim Trust grant to breathe new life into a historic local landmark, bring communities together around shared memories and protect and preserve significant objects for future generations to enjoy.

Find out more about our Preservation and Conservation grant programme.

Image credit: York Museums Trust