Plans to restore the Jubilee Clock Tower at Grimston.

It has been telling the time for nearly 130 years, when people chipped in to build the tower to mark Queen Victoria’s long reign.

The much-loved landmark that soars above Grimston near King’s Lynn is about to be restored to its former glory.

The parish council has filed for permission to repair the unusual Grade II listed monument, which is estimated to cost more than £20,000.

The Jubilee Clock Tower at Grimston, near King’s Lynn (Image: Chris Bishop)

The blue face of the clock on the tower at Grimston (Image: Chris Bishop)

After 130 years of weather deterioration, the tower needs structural maintenance. (Image: Chris Bishop)

They include the restoration of its carrstone gables as well as a new timber frame and door, which were originally built to provide access from the rear when the clock needed to be wound.
Cracks in the masonry will be repointed, and some of the stone blocks will have to be removed and replaced.

The electric clock mechanism, which is powered by a small solar panel, will be removed while the repair is being done, leaving inhabitants to rely on their watches or mobile phones for a while.

Its chairman, Mark Dye, stated, “The clock tower was built in 1897 to commemorate Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee and has been a treasured piece of village architecture for more than a century.”

Grimston Parish Council chairman Mark Dye (Image: Mark Dye)

The clock is a familiar landmark to both locals and those travelling through Grimston (Image: Chris Bishop)

The weather vane on top of the tower (Image: Chris Bishop)

“As custodians, it is now our job to ensure this much loved village landmark is maintained and preserved for future generations.”

The clock was constructed to honour Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee in 1897 (Image: PA).

A stone plaque commemorating Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee in 1897 (Image: Chris Bishop)

The clock pictured in 1934 (Image: Supplied)

The Grade II-listed Carrstone Clock Tower was built in 1897 to commemorate Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee, four years before her death at the age of 81.

It’s unclear whether the monarch, who purchased the nearby Sandringham estate for her son and future king Albert Edward in 1862, actually saw the tribute.

Villagers from Grimston and nearby Congham contributed £200 to build it and signed a 100-year lease for the property it stands on, in the grounds of what was formerly the Old Bell bar, for a shilling each year.

The clock can be seen in this 1910 image of the village—complete with horse dung on the road (Image: Grimston Parish Council).

The village has changed since the clock was established more than a century ago (Photo: Chris Bishop).

Its 8-meter-high lead-covered spire featured a wind vane at the top, allowing villagers to determine which way the breezes were blowing as well as the time.

Its tower was accessed through a gothic entryway constructed into the north wall to wind the mechanism.

The Old Bell closed in 1996 and is now a residence and guest house.

In 2010, a small solar panel was installed to keep the clock’s batteries charged after it was converted to electricity.

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