History of the Clock

The most notable building in Machynlleth is the Town Clock. The clock is freestanding at the junction of the A487 amd A489 in the centre of the town, It is virtually unique in the British Isles, although there is a fairly similar clock at Leicester. The Town Clock was built on the site of the old Tow Hall, which was also a market hall at ground level. This hall had a clock on its roof. In 1873, the people of Machynlleth and district felt they had to celebrate the coming of age of Charles Stewart Vane-Tempest, Viscount Castlereagh, of Plas Machynlleth. He was the first son of the fifth Marquess and Marchioness of Londonderry. In May of that year a circular was issued by the Rev/Canon George Griffiths, (rector), and Richard Jones, (Hon.Sec.ProTem), which read:

A meeting was held at the Vane Hall on Monday morning, May 12 1873. David Howell, who was a solicitor in the town, was elected chairman of the meeting. A further suggestion at the meeting was that the streets of the town should be planted with trees similar to several foreign towns. It was noted however, that operations of the committee would be limited by the amounts of subscriptions. Nevertheless, £250 was subscribed at the first meeting. The next meeting was held on May 19  by which time the fund had reached £550, but over £1,000 would be needed.  By the end of June 1873, the fund had reached £900, and thanks were made to Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn, Lord of the Manor of Cyfeiliog, for donating the site of the old Town Hall.

Tragedy

Tragedy was to intervene in the planned coming of age celebrations when  Lady Averina, the sister of Viscount Castlereagh, died tragically, aged only 16. Her funeral was held on July 3 1873 cutting short the celebrations for Charles’s birthday on July 16.

Progress

A design competition was arranged and by February 1874 the designs were judged: forty five designs were considered. Henry Kennedy, designer of the new Town Hall in Penrallt Street, an Irishman working out of London and Bangor, was the winner. The contract to build the new clock tower was given to two Machynlleth men, Edward Edwards and his brother John Edwards, whose family descendants still live in Machynlleth today. During the building of the foundations of the clock, convention has it that stones were brought in wheelbarrows from the Wylfa, a hill nearby, and that pennies were buried in the foundations.
The laying of the foundation stone took place on Thursday afternoon, July 15 1874 by Viscount Castereagh to whom the clock had been dedicated.  The decorations in the town at the laying of the foundation stone were of a brilliant character. On the clock site was a triple avenue of flags; the Maengwyn Street entrance to the Plas bore an inscription welcoming the schools of Machynlleth, while at the West lodge entrance there was further inscription offering success to Machynlleth and district. The shops and businesses of the town also bore flags in abundance.
There was tremendous cheering when the Viscount, together with the Marquess and Marchioness and Lady Aline Vane-Tempest, (grandmother of the late John Beaumont), accompanied the chairman and committee members onto the platform. Thousands of spectators assembled and many more were in windows and on the scaffold of a half-completed house and shops situated between the Clock and the Wynnstay Hotel. When the stone had been laid, the procession left for tea in the Plas grounds which were open to all. Richard D. Jones let off balloons and canons were fired at intervals throughout the day.

• By 1882, there was evidence that the clock was working because The Cambrian News reported that Mr. Rees, (probably John Rees, watchmaker of Maengwyn Street), who was in charge of the clock, received five shillings for winding and keeping the clock in repair.
• The Town Clock has always been central to most major events that have taken place in Machynlleth. In late 1904, the religious revival came to Machynlleth when young men from South Wales came to the town by train. Prayer meetings lasting for two hours were held at the Town Clock and continued in the chapels of the town and district for several months.
• In July 1911, another major event occurred in the town when George V, Queen Mary, Edward Prince of Wales and Princess Mary came on a visit and stayed at the Plas. The Town Clock was decorated with art muslin in various colours. There was also a large design of the Royal Coat of Arms and the Clock was decorated with fairy lights at night to good effect. The Royal Party arrived at the Clock at 8 pm and thousands of people had assembled there. A platform had been erected under the Clock for members of the Urban District Council. Lord Herbert Vane-Tempest presented to the Royal Family the Chairman, Evan Humphreys, the Vice-chairman, R. Llewelyn Jones and the Medical Officer of Health, Dr. A. O. Davies. An address was presented to the Royal Party and carnations to Queen Mary and Princess Mary.
• The lights of the Clock were off during World War One, and the Council was criticised in late 1921 for not having put the lighting back on, because the town had celebrated the ending of the war and very much remembered the dead.
• The Town Clock was also central in 1925 when a gang of young men marched from the Clock to the river Dovey. Over a thousand people assembled at the river to watch them net fish in protest at the conditions imposed by the River Association to fish the river. The crowd returned to the Town Clock singing and gave the fish to the sick of the town.
• The Town Clock again featured centrally in 1929 when Sir John Simon, a leading government politician, visited the town. There was a gathering of several hundred people by the Town Clock for a meeting and speeches.
• In 1933, the illumination of the Clock celebrated the opening of the local electricity scheme which had been developed by Lloyd Owen Owen and his committee.
• Again in 1936, the importance of the Town Clock was highlighted when King Edward VIII was proclaimed King. A specially decorated dias was erected for the occasion. Schoolchildren were assembled and the crowds of people were marshalled by the police. The proclamation of the new King was read by the High Sheriff of Montgomeryshire. On the dias also were the Chairman of Machynlleth Urban Council, D. Derwen Jones, the Vice-chairman, David Williams and E. P. Humphreys, the Clerk. Before and after the proclamation, there were peals on the bells of the Parish Church.
• Also in 1936, an evangelical crusade was held at the Town Clock when a service was conducted by the Rev. T. Nefyn Williams and William Evans. The service was conducted by the Montgomery Presbytery.
• From the 1930s to the present, the Town Clock has been used regularly by the townspeople, in addition to its role as a timepiece. On New Year’s Eve’ annually there are celebratory events held and, more recently, a canvas canopy has been constructed at the Town Clock by a group called The Machynlleth Fringe to shelter pop bands and other entertainers who regularly amuse the public. The Machynlleth Hunt has met annually at the Town Clock, almost since its construction. The hunt meets on New Year’s Day morning.

Visitors and holidaymakers to the town are particularly interested in the Town Clock; it has become a major tourist attraction and is regularly photographed as a prominent historical feature, especially during the summer months. Indeed, the Town Clock has become the most significant feature in Machynlleth and is central in the whole of Wales.