Time is of the essence to restore Machynlleth town clock in time for its 150th birthday


A clock that has been broken since 2020 will be repaired in time for its imminent 150th birthday.

Machynlleth clock is right just twice a day - after it stopped in 2020 meaning its face has read "9:02" ever since.

Now, the local council has started work to repair the tower in time for its 150th anniversary.

Machynlleth Town Council approved the £55,00 bill to restore the clock after locals persistently asked over the past few years about when it would be repaired.

The work started earlier this year and is expected to be completed by September.

The clock has been covered in scaffolding whilst the work gets underway. Credit: ITV News Wales

Councillor Michael Williams has been working to get the town icon fixed.

He said: "It's been quite a journey for accessing grants. A lot of work needed to be done on the workings of the clock and work needed to be done on the face of the clock.

"It was ticking in 1873, so it's right and proper that it will be ticking again now, shortly."

The clock read 9:02 until the hands were removed as part of the renovation. Credit: ITV News Wales

It may not be helpful for people walking past, but the clock does chime online.

When the tower fell silent, a parody Twitter account was set up by a Machynlleth local which "bongs" every hour.

The account also records the number of days the clock has been out of action.

The clock has a long history for the people of mid-Wales.

It became the focal point of protest for temperance (anti-drunkenness) campaigners in the 1830s.

Hundreds of people gathered at the clock to meet the founder of the Salvation Army, William Booth, in 1907.

It was also a site for celebrations after the end of World War One, in 1919.

In its long history, this isn't the first time that the iconic tower has stopped.

In 1881, the clock tower came to a halt after a storm smashed two of its faces.

It broke again in 2003 and after a nine-year fundraising campaign, which raised £200,000, was fixed in 2012.


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