Clocks can tell us much about the times in which they were created. There may have been water clocks in Britain from the Roman period onwards, alongside sundials and astrolabes – complex tools that predict the positions of heavenly bodies. (There’s a fine modern example in the grounds of Hever Castle in Kent). But the development of the mechanical clock in Britain really began with clocks built for medieval churches, cathedrals and religious houses.
The oldest still in use, at Salisbury Cathedral, is thought to date from 1386 and still contains many original parts within its wrought iron mechanism. The clock has never had a face – it simply rang a bell upon the hour to summon the medieval clergy to prayer. But the clock at Wells Cathedral, built in about 1390, has two faces. Inside the building it is an astronomical clock, with a 24-hour analogue dial in Roman
