'Significant' clock removed for castle repairs

The removal of a medieval clock from its tower amid conservation works will help protect a "significant" part of the national collections, Manx National Heritage has said.

Repairs are underway to the clock room roof and floor, and other walls at Castle Rushen in Castletown following water ingress.

Conservator Christopher Weeks said the timepiece, with its mechanism dating back to the 16th Century, was "moved out of harm’s way" for the works.

It will be cleaned before being put back in place later this year following the repairs.

Mr Weeks said due to a "very wet winter" the heritage body had seen water ingress "in quite a lot of our historic properties and buildings" and Castle Rushen had been "no exception".

"We need to do investigatory work, which means the ceiling has to come down inside the clock room," he said.

"None of this can take place while the medieval clock is sitting there because it would imperil it."

The clock had been in continual use in the island's ancient capital for more than 400 years until it was removed for repairs in 2011 and replaced four years later.

Mr Weeks said MNH had not planned to remove the clock again so soon but it was a "good opportunity" to do some basic maintenance.

The process involved "wrestling it out of a case that it sits in, detaching the arm that runs to the face and packing the clock against a board so that we could lower it 14m down the side of the castle by hand".

Mr Weeks said it was "important that we look after it as best we can" as the timepiece was of "regional significance to the Isle of Man".

"More widely it’s an important example of the type and is very well preserved" with "most of the medieval components that it was originally fitted".

Work on the project is expected to last until the autumn, when the clock will be returned to the building.

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