Workers from Smith of Derby carefully removing one of the Shrewsbury Market Hall clock hands for repair
Workmen have scaled Shrewsbury’s Market Hall tower to give a new lease of life to its clock.
It has been in need of some tender loving care and now workmen are improving the illumination of its individual dial hour light markers and repainting its clock hands.
The work at the Market Hall, in Claremont Street, is taking place while scaffolding surrounds the building for essential maintenance to be carried out.
Kate Gittins, site facilities manager at the market, said: “The scaffolding that is currently in place around the building provides an ideal opportunity to carry out repair work to the clock face to improve the illumination.
“The market hall clock and tower is one of the town’s most recognisable features and we are delighted to be able to restore this historic timepiece to its former glory.”
Specialists Smith of Derby are carrying out the work on the clock, which is 14ft in diameter, has a 7ft long hour hand and a 5ft long minute hand.
The market hall officially opened in 1965 but trading began on November 21, 1964. The building, which cost about £1 million and was developed by Second Covent Garden Property Co Ltd, stands on the site of the old market hall which was built in 1869.
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Might be of interest – a 1963 Newsreel film showing the construction of the first Market Hall spire:
http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=81532
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It will still be the ugliest building in Shrewsbury.
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I wish someone would have the courage to suggest it should be knocked down along with the wart of a building to which it is attached. Oh – I think I just did!
It needs to be read the last rites not have a new lease on life.
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Fantastic Penny, really interesting find.
I took a photo a couple of weeks back of the workers going up the scaffolding.
I was envious, the views must be great.
I know some people call it the ‘cocktail stick!’
It would be some cocktail! :)
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nice video if the clock but dont you think having a clock tower made of modern bricks looks way odd in a medieval town who disigned it should been shot what you think?
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I find it incredulous that there are people who think the world stopped at one period in history.
In films maybe, on TV maybe but that’s all pretend.
Do Shrewsbury people go around looking like Baldrick (don’t answer that!)do they drive cars?
Did the Georgian, Victorian, Edwardian and the post war Britain ever happen?
Shows that craftman apprenticeships and jobs for young people were around then in the good old days of the NHS and the cold war.
Should I have died in the plague so that I could have died happy in the near vicinity of a timber framed building or burned to death in one of them which must have happened to many a poor soul?
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No wonder the councils are all confused, with a 7′ hour hand and also a 5′ long hour hand.
Who writes this stuff?
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Does anyone have any pictures of the old market hall that used to sit on the site? It was such a beautiful building and was replaced with the current ugly and dated market building. It doesn’t need repairing it need knocking down! Let’s have a 21st Century market building and clock tower we can be proud of (so long as no one from the Quantam Leap project team are involved!).
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Try this link
http://www.darwincountry.org/explore/013300.html
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Thanks for the link I always wondered what it looked like before
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wasnt it great
shame on them that knocked it down
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My sister in law’s uncle died when working on the demolition of the Victorian Market Hall.
The building was not seen as fit for purpose and being a busy important place at the time it’s design did not fulfil it’s needs and allow it to function very satisfactorily.
It does seem a tragedy that all those past councillors who managed to get their names on plaques literally plastered all over the very ostentatious Victorian building were not immortalised as originally planned!
If we were to rebuild it in 21st century style Benbow Tom, it would no doubt have to be a similar design to Prince Charles’s new Fire Station at Poundbury!
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when i look at the pictures of the market that now standes in the place of that beautiful building its sad. just shows the begining of ruining the real shrewsbury town by the council.
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is it too late to demolish it
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still looks bad to me, shame on whoever demolished the old victorian building shame on them
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