Church clock on St Andrew's church tower, Fontmell Magna, built 1732."The church clock was made in 1732 by William Monk (1689-1753) of Berwick St John in Wiltshire, a prolific clockmaker. It replaced a previous clock made before 1675.
The clock has the distinctive Monk ‘tulip’ finials on each corner post and characteristic clock frame, the “birdcage” type, with vertical pinion bars held by nuts at the bottom and iron wedges at the top; the top horizontal bar of the frame is set “edge on”. It is one of only a very few turret clocks made by William Monk that are still going – the others are in Broadchalke, Sherborne Abbey, Wimborne Minster.
The cost of the clock was £8 plus “a further 6 shillings for transport by horse and cart to Fontmell Magna”. This compares with £10 12s. 0d. for the clock at Tarrant Gunville, £25 (including carriage) for the Sherborne Abbey clock, and £25 plus the cost of carriage, ropes and wire for the Wimborne Minster clock.
William Monk Turret Clocks describes the clock as a: “two train clock made by William Monk. It has been so altered that it takes some thought to puzzle out how the clock first looked. Made as a thirty hour clock, the trains have been extended upwards to increase the going period. Other clocks, such as that at Witchampton, have been extended downwards by the provision of new great wheels. Subsequently and more recently, electric winding has been fitted, hence the miles of “bicycle chain” and the large aluminium wheels”.
The conversion to electric winding was made in 1978 or 1979 by Philip Pickford of Fontmell Magna using the Hygans Endless Chain System. Before this, the two clock weights, one for the time and one for the striking mechanism, weighing 3½ cwt., extended down a shaft 21 feet into the ringing chamber. These were wound by hand gear.
Before 1903, no pictures or prints show an outside clock face, so the local inhabitants must have relied on the church clock striking the hours.
According to Dorset Church and Public Clocks, the clock face was first fitted in 1903. However, a plaque in the clock chamber records: “The face of this clock was given and the clock itself also restored by Sir Richard G. Glyn Bart. J. P. to commemorate the coronation of his Majesty King George V June 22nd 1911”.
Further, there is a record that Mrs Kerley Short made a gift of “a gilt clock face in 1913, at a cost of £25”.
The clock hands are operated by a 9 foot vertical shaft to a gear box beneath No.5 bell. From this another shaft drives the clock hands through the 27 inch thickness of the Tower walls."
The church tower also contains a carillon of 6 bells that plays the tune 'Hanover' by William Croft (visit link) every 3rd hour. MIDI - (visit link) (opens in media player)
"One source says that the carillon was made by John C Brine in 1748 or 1750, at a cost of £4 10s.2½d. and that it was auto wound from 1892.
However, William Monk Turret Clocks says: “The iron carillon that is operated by the clock was also made by Monk, at a cost of £2 18s. 0d., but in 1737, five years after the clock. Now also electrically wound, the drum rotates at three hourly intervals, controlled by the clock. The original wooden winding barrel remains but it is possible that the iron carillon barrel is a replacement. The metal drum is unusual, more often they were made of wood at this time, but the larger diameter may well also indicate that the original was made of iron too”.
At every third hour, the carillon plays six of the seven notes of the hymn tune ‘Hanover’ to which ‘O Worship the King’ is usually sung. Only six notes are possible, as there are only six bells. The carillon is reputed to be able also to play the National Anthem, but no way of making the adjustment has yet been found.
The church was rebuilt between 1862 and 1863 and the tower heightened to add an extra floor. The bells were moved up to the new level and at the same time increased from four to six. It is possible that, before this time, the carillon sounded the ‘Westminster Chimes’ at the quarters and that, after the installation of the 5th and 6th bells, the carillon was adjusted to play the hymn tune.
On 7 June 1982, the carillon was converted to electric winding by Philip Pickford."
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