Menu

Church clocks and others from around old Preston to present day

Posted on - 10th January, 2015 - 8:00am | Author - | Posted in - History, Nostalgia, Photos, Preston City Centre
The image to the left shows the Baptist Church in early 1862 before the clock was installed, and to the right is shown a clock that was fitted in later 1862

The image to the left shows the Baptist Church in early 1862 before the clock was installed and the image to the right shows the clock that was fitted later that same year. Pic: Preston Digital Archive

With the current debate about the non functioning clock of the Baptist Church in Fishergate, we started to think of other clocks around the old town that have vanished and what they meant to Prestonians over time gone by. Indeed, the Baptist Church clock in Fishergate is very well known by most of the inhabitants of Preston and many will remember a time when it worked well displaying the accurate time to all who gazed upon it.

Advertisement

Originally, the church, built in 1852 and designed by James Hibbert, the architect of the Harris Museum and Art Gallery, had no clock but an appeal was made to the townsfolk by the Town Corporation to subscribe to the cost of a clock to be installed into the tower. The appeal was successful and the Town Corporation agreed to maintain the clock in order that travellers approaching Preston Railway Station would be able to tell the time. For a short period, the clock face was lit by gas; however, there were complaints about the expense in the running costs of the lighting which resulted in the abandonment of the gas lighting in 1867. The clock was lit once more in 1882 for the Preston Guild.

Advertisements
Preston Weekender advert

The photograph immediately below was taken of a Fishergate scene in 1903, which was used as a Preston postcard and features the Baptist Church; what is unusual about this picture is that if you look closely at the spire on the tower summit, you can see a steeple jack doing some maintenance work. The inset to the right of the picture shows a better view of the steeple jack.

Baptist Church Fishergate 1903

Fishergate 1903 featuring the Baptist Church clock tower and insert to show detailed image of steeple jack working on the spire. Pic: Preston Digital Archive

 

One of the most prominent clock tower’s in Preston was the one on the former George Gilbert Scott Town Hall which was completed in 1866 and burned down in March 1947. There was hardly a location in Preston where you could not see the clock face. With a total height of the spire being 113 feet and each of the four clock dials being 9 feet 6 inches, it is little wonder that it could be seen for miles around.

Preston's Magnificent Town Hall.

Preston’s Magnificent George Gilbert Scott Town Hall. Pic: Preston Digital Archive

In the first draft of the design, Scott designed the spire to be of lesser height; however, the Preston Corporation was insistent that it be raised from the original planned height so that people who arrived at Preston Railway Station would be able to see the clock all the way along Fishergate. Nowadays, the concept of such an indulgence in the extravagance of the subsequent cost would not even be considered; and besides, everyone has one or more means on their person of being able to tell the time.

Advertisements
Lancaster Road with PCT dept clock

Lancaster Road featuring the Preston Transport Department clock with insert showing detailed image of the clock. Pic: Preston Digital Archive

 

Finally, one more clock that many Prestonians will recall is the one which was located for many years over the Preston Corporation Transport/Traffic Department offices in Lancaster Road. With there being so many bus stops along there it was always useful to be able to catch what time it was so that you could know when your bus would appear to take you home. This clock was also a great meeting place as in “I’ll meet you under the clock on Lancaster Road”. This was always a great location to meet-up as it was quite central to all the places of entertainment and many public houses that were dotted around the town centre.

You can see thousands of old Preston pictures and documents on the Preston Digital Archive.

Do you recall any other town clocks which have now vanished from sight in Preston? Let us know in the comments below.

Share
Advertisements
caritas fostering advert
Preston in pictures Preston Bus 207 PO56 JDX (Scania N94UB / East Lancs Esteem)24.03.24 - Penwortham [Church of St Mary] 240323JPGDSC_7658 - Bus stationDSC_7676 - Miller ArcadeDSC_7681 - former Post Office, cenotaph and Town HallDSC_7682 - Central Methodist church, Lune StreetDSC_7668 - Fish (aka Box) MarketDSC_7672 - Miller Arcade View more Advertisement Subscribe to the newsletter

Sign up below to receive Blog Preston's email newsletter. It wings its way into inboxes every Sunday and Wednesday rounding up our top stories and more.

Advertisement News by location

Find news by location, select an area of your choice to be kept up to date with the latest goings on.

The Preston Guide

Discover local businesses and services near you.

    Advertisements
Advertisement Categories

Find news by category, select an category of your choice to be kept up to date with the latest goings on.

Blog Preston email updates

Receive our digest of the biggest and best stories every Sunday to your email inbox

We respect your privacy and you can unsubscribe at any time from our emails