Macclesfield: £12,000 needed to repair clock of 802-year-old Prestbury church
By Alex Greensmith 13th Feb 2023
A church which is a community asset in a Macclesfield parish is seeking funding for some historic repairs.
St Peter's Church, located on The Village in Prestbury, was built in 1220.
The clock on the church tower has been keeping time in the village for nearly 500 years, and is in need of some TLC. In particular, the dial is in a state of disrepair.
As a result the restoration deserves meticulous attention to detail given to it in its restoration, with £12,000 needed to bring it back to its former glory.
Churchgoer Christopher Sealy, who sits on the church's committee in regards to maintenance of the building, explained why the works are so vital.
"The first record of maintenance for this current clock that we have dates back to 1580. In the centuries since it has had a variety of updates," he said.
"Today, the timber dial on the clock requires major restoration work or replacing. We estimate the dial itself is 100 years old.
"And as it is Heritage Listed [also to reflect the historic significance of it], we have to buy a like for like replacement.
"The repair or replacement work requires the attention of specialist clockmaker craftsmen, and there are few firms in the UK who are able and capable of doing this work to meet the strict standards that are required.
"The cost of the work is in excess of £12000, to ensure that this amenity continues to keep time for us all."
Even in modern times, villagers have relied on the church for daylight saving updates, and have been quick to correct if this isn't the case!
The clock was handwound until 2008. It is now electrified for accuracy. The chimes sound from 8am to 8pm every day.
The last time the clock was upgraded was in 2009, when the mercury chimes were replaced, thanks to the donation of a parishioner.
It is now the dials turn for some community-funded care.
"We like to think this is a community thing, it is not a church thing per se," added Chris.
"The clock is something that affects everybody. We all take it for granted. And this project is a team effort, it is something that unifies us.
"We don't want to get to a place where the dial becomes too dangerous and we will have to stop the clock.
"We are going to succeed, it is just a matter of time [pardon the pun].
"Please help so that the heartbeat of the village may continue well into the future.
"To Prestbury village and the wider Macclesfield community, I believe we all have a responsibility to care for our heritage, as we don't want to see it disappear for the next generation. Thank you for your support.
The community fundraiser has generated £2415 so far, meaning they are at 20% of their goal.
However, they have also raised almost £3000 outside of the crowdfunding platform, from the generosity of the local community.
Macclesfield: You can help them reach 12k by donating HERE.
Find more about the Prestbury church on their website. They also will post updates on the campaign to their Facebook.
Click here to access the JustGiving page.
See Also: Macclesfield Co-op stores to raise money for Bollington Parkinson's Group
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