Time stands still in town – for the moment!

Shoppers, visitors and residents to Tavistock could be forgiven for thinking the town is stuck in time.

Passers-by in Bedford Square or from other town centre vantage points have been seeing the wrong time on all four faces of the clock on the familiar landmark.

Even in these times of mobile phones and digital watches, locals still rely on the familiar old-fashioned clock on St Eustachius’ Church tower for a quick time-check as they pass. And even if people are not consciously looking for the time, they might have noticed silence instead of hourly chimes.

Unfortunately the church clock has now proved to be not as reliable, because all four faces of the clock have been showing 12 o’clock for over two weeks and show no signs of imminent movement.

However, help is coming soon from Tavistock Town Council, which owns the clock and reports the clock appears to have developed a technical fault.

The council is promising time will soon be moving again soon, having employed engineers to have a look.

A council spokesman issued a public update on the clock, saying: “You may have noticed that the clock at St Eustachius’ Church hasn’t been working properly recently.

“Following a visit from the clock engineers on Friday (September 11), an issue was identified with the automatic winding unit. The unit has now been removed while further investigations are carried out.

“We know how much the clock is part of the familiar sights and sounds of Tavistock, and we’re working to get it back up and running as soon as possible. Thank you for your patience and understanding while the necessary work is carried out.”

The earliest mention of the clock and chimes go back to 1540 when payments were recorded to a man to oil the clock. The clock has been replaced several times over the years, with the present clock and chimes being given to the town, funded mainly by the Duke of Bedford.