"Time For A Display" - Greenhill Floral Clock

The quote was a headline in today's (Sat.24-04-21) Dorset Echo, about the Floral Clock in Greenhill Gardens, Weymouth.

Described as one of the only two mechanical floral clocks still working in the country, and built in 1936 by Richie & Sons of Edinburgh, its movement is in a nearby wooden shed due for replacement and not very attractive anyway.

So the Friends of Greenhill Gardens (who look after the Gardens along with Weymouth Town Council, and with whom I have no connection) are due to embark on raising the necessary funds, estimated at £15 000 - £20 000.

The original invoice, 85 years ago, was £200.

The intention though is not only to give the works a new building, but one that will also display them to the public. As a resident of the area, I for one look forwards to viewing the movement in its new home.

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By "floral clock" here is meant that the dial is formed of beds of small flowering plants, and the hands are themselves flower-trays.

There is a photo in the paper but very clumsily edited, cropping most of the clock itself rather than the mainly sea and sky in the background.

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It's occurred to that the Greenhill Gardens clock will be among probably very few large public clocks with publicly-visible movements, other than turret-clocks etc. in museums.

I remember seeing a Mediaeval one in Salisbury Cathedral, displayed in running order in one of the aisles, years ago; but I don't recall seeing it on a visit only a few years ago. It has no dial and hands, just a bell to announce church services. Although this fine example of blacksmith clock-making was running, I don't think it actually struck a bell in its display career, simply went through the motions as it were.

Good to hear that the mechanism will be made visible to the public

I haven’t yet found a picture of the ‘works’ of either this or the Edinburgh one, but I believe they are similar.

MichaelG.

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https://www.jamesritchieclockmakers.com/history.html

http://www.edinphoto.org.uk/0_a_o/0_around_edinburgh_-_princes_street_gardens_0_floral_clock_notes.htm

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 25/04/2021 10:13:52

Brings back memories as a youngster of a floral clock in Stanley Park in Liverpool, sometime around 1949/1950, had no awareness at that time of any associated movement.
DaveD

Sadly, it appears from L'pool blog posts that it has since disappeared into the mists of memories.

Thank you for those links, Michael.

It's good to see that the clockmakers are still with us and thriving, 200 years on.