A £5,000 make-over to Wednesbury’s historic clock tower is now complete.
The iconic local landmark – a grade 2 listed building and a popular meeting place for local people – has benefitted from a total overhaul.
The facelift has seen the inside of the clock tower thoroughly cleaned and its internal electrics fully serviced and updated.
Its sandstone and brickwork exterior has been cleaned as well as the steps and limestone at the top of the clock and door revarmished.
The clock mechanism has been serviced, clock speeds corrected and times reset – as in recent times the four clock faces have not all been synchronised.
The outside of the clock has been fully cleaned, lighting circuits have been rewired with new LED strip lighting installed behind the faces replacing the old halogen fittings which were in poor condition.
This means the clock faces are now much brighter and clearer at night.
The final phase of the restoration work has seen the globe stands remounted and repainted as they had started to rust and were looking worse for wear, and new white opaque lighting globes have also been installed.
Councillor Pam Hughes, town lead for Wednesbury has praised the make-over which Wednesbury North ward councillors Elaine Costigan and Peter Hughes have lobbied for.
Councillor Pam Hughes, said: “It’s fantastic to see this much-loved local landmark restored to its former glory.
“It’s location in Wednesbury’s Market Place is one of the Black Country’s most recognisable historic locations and the clock tower has always been a popular meeting place for local people.”
Councillor Paul Moore, Sandwell’s cabinet member for regeneration, added: “I’m pleased that we have been able to give the clock tower, a really good ‘spring clean’, sprucing it up for local people to enjoy and preserving it for future decades to come.”
The clock tower was built in the place once occupied by Wednesbury’s old butter market cross which was demolished in 1824 and was built to commemorate the Coronation of King George V in 1911.
