Posts In: Traditional

St Michael & All Angels Church Dial Refurbishment

April 3, 2020 News

The village of Shirley, Derbyshire is the home to St Michael & All Angels Church. The clock at the Church was installed in 1902 and regularly cared for by Smith of Derby. As part of our work we have recently refurbished and repaired the Churches clock dial, to bring it back to its original fabricated aesthetic. As part of our work we have recently refurbished and repaired the Churches clock dial, to bring it back to its original fabricated aesthetic. The picturesque village situated in the countryside in Derbyshire dates-back to the middle ages and is very well known for…

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Community Clock Work, Northleach

August 21, 2018 Heritage, News, Public, Seasons, Time, Traditional

We were recently approached to restore the Cotswold Hall’s projecting clock, a timepiece which is a real focal point of the community. The clock, which overlooks the towns West End, was originally installed in 1897 to celebrate Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee and has a distinctive crown on top of it The clock became abeyant following extremely heavy snowfall in the winter months, which led to further works to being discussed including a dial restoration as the timepiece was in poor condition. This is seen as a significant part of a vital community building which is used by many local groups…

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Harrison Clock, Derby Silk Mill Museum

August 14, 2018 Uncategorized

In late 2017 Smith of Derby were tasked to remove the Harrison mechanical clock from the Derby Silk Mill Museum and complete a full restoration. Following this the clock dial and mechanism will be reinstated at the silk mill museum in 2020 when the buildings renovation is completed. The team tasked with the works are our apprentices, Tom and Sam, who are overseeing the project from start to finish. To help them with the project, clock advisor Chris McKay has been on site giving them both advise on various parts of the works, which will also help develop their knowledge…

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In the news this August

August 13, 2018 News

Our team here at Smith of Derby have had another busy summer, both in the works and out on various sites across the UK. All departments have been working hard during this heatwave on many different projects, with the odd ice cream being enjoyed along the way! Our traditional sector has been extremely busy with many different jobs taking place, both in the works and by our engineers across the UK. Our engineer Matthew Smith recently completed various works on a local church clock. The client, who happens to be a Fellow of the British Horological Institute (FBHI) and has…

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Our latest winding and timekeeping units are now museum pieces!

June 1, 2018 Church, Heritage, Public, Time, Traditional

Automatic winding has been applied to tower clocks for over 100 years. Over that time the equipment has culminated in our current model – the AW10 system. Automatic winding can now be partnered with automatic timekeeping, using our PAR 100 unit. By careful setting of the pendulum speed and programmed pausing, it keeps the clock within precise time year-on-year. Power to both winding and timekeeping are powered via a single power supply control unit with battery backup, with low voltage supply to the working units. This enhances safety and guards against any problem caused by power failures. Winding and timekeeping…

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