Cambridge town clock with a dodgy ticker is set to be fixed

Cambridge's town clock dates back to 1908 and is set to receive a huge makeover after a series of mechanical failures and external deterioration. Photo / Danielle Zollickhofer

Cambridge’s historic town clock is now a timer without a chimer.

But residents and businesses who use the regular pealing to keep track of their day need not fret. The “Westminster chimes” sequence – the same used by Big Ben in London – will be back, eventually.

Dustin Mills, Waipā District Council’s property adviser, maintenance planning, confirmed a specialist clock repairer had disconnected the chimes this week after residents reported them going off at all hours.

But silencing the chimes was a temporary move for a clock already diagnosed with a dodgy ticker.

“It looks like recent heavy rain may have found its way in, leaving a bit of moisture,” he said. “That, combined with some old-age issues already identified, has been enough to send the chimes going off at all hours.

“The clock is still keeping time, but it’s really just limping along. Our aim is to keep it going as long as we can until we need to take it out of action.”

The chimes on Cambridge's town clock have been temporarily removed, with internal mechanisms showing signs of water damage from recent weather.

In August, the council confirmed the much-loved clock was booked in for open heart surgery. A major refurbishment is needed to keep the clock, which dates from 1908, on time and chiming.

The $450,000 refurbishment requires specialist skills to remove, fix, automate and reinstall the clock mechanism. While the mechanism is being overhauled, the clock tower will also be refurbished.

Once fixed, the clock will require only six-monthly cleaning, and full servicing every 10-15 years, saving about $24,000 a year in operating and maintenance costs.

Mills said key clock components would need to be sourced overseas, with a three-month turnaround at best. A contract should be awarded before Christmas, with work to begin as soon as possible.

In the meantime, some residents might enjoy the silence. “I doubt it, though. There’s a soft spot in Cambridge for the town clock and I think most people will be very pleased to hear it chiming again.”

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