West Station Clock – Inspection

One of Bexhill’s best-loved landmarks, West Station Clock, is ready to be restored to full working order following an initial appraisal by Bexhill Heritage members on 6th February. The clock mechanisms were found to be remarkably intact with only one significant part missing on one of the clock faces. The next step will be to try to get the clock working to identify further parts of the mechanism that may be missing, broken or jammed. Subsequent work will include a full clean-up of the clock tower’s interior, as well as a clean and rebuild of the clock’s mechanism, and some minor repair work to the surround of the western clock face.

“[The mechanism] is in remarkably good condition. So far, as I have been able to ascertain, it has not run since 1964. If anyone knows otherwise then I would be interested in hearing about this. The power for the clock comes from a weight hung on a steel wire that is wrapped around a drum in the clock. Turning a large handle winds the steel cable onto the drum and at the same raises the cast iron weight.” – Simon Allen

Once we’ve estimated the cost of this work, we’ll be seeking contributions from the community to support this exciting project.

Bexhill Heritage volunteers are being led by Simon Allen who has a long-held interest in the clock and is familiar with its relatively simple mechanism. We’re also grateful also to Andy and Gina at Eras of Style for allowing access to the tower.