Remaking history: Historic Bethlem Clocktower now fully restored
The Mayor of Bromley, Cllr Jonathan Andrews, recently unveiled a new plaque to mark the full restoration of the previously eroded historic clock at Bethlem Museum of the Mind, thanks to a recent project led by Heritage of London Trust, an independent charity dedicated to rescuing historic buildings and monuments across London.
The clock is one of the first things that patients and staff see when they come to the site and has been the centrepiece of the hospital's Art Deco building for almost 100 years. In recent years, the copper turret had corroded, and the clock face had deteriorated, making it no longer possible to tell the time from ground level.
The work was carried out by Cumbria Clock Company, which recently completed the major restoration of Big Ben, and included re-gilding the clock faces, hands, and orb finial.
Our Chair, Jane Bailey, attended and spoke at the unveiling event. She said: “Thank you to the teams at Heritage of London Trust and Cumbria Clock Company who made this restoration possible, the Mayor of Bromley for joining us for the unveiling and the young people who were involved in this project. The restoration project has been an important part of honouring our unique history and ensuring a welcoming environment for those who receive care on our site.”
During the project, young people came to visit the site as part of Heritage of London Trust’s Proud Places youth engagement programme, where they explored what time means to them and learnt more about the history of our site.
One of the young people part of the project, Kody, an 18-year-old student at Croydon College, said: “It’s a good thing to restore the clock because how the world is moving right now, everything is trying to progress forwards. If we don’t save it, everything done before is just lost.”
Colin Gale, Director at Bethlem Museum, said: “We are delighted that the clock and turret have been returned to their full glory and continue to dutifully record the time for visitors and patients. The work that’s been done has breathed new life into the museum’s exterior.”
Dr Nicola Stacey, Director at Heritage of London Trust, said: “We are so pleased to have been able to restore the clock of the Bethlem Museum of the Mind. Public clocks are uplifting marker points in the world around us. Here, the clock marks the quiet order, regulation and care that the patients in the hospital receive, and now gleaming and working again, we hope it will bring pride to those living nearby.”
Thank you to everyone involved in this project and to the Bromley Mayor, Cllr Jonathan Andrews, for joining us for the unveiling.
