Terry’s factory buildings, April 2010. Photo: Lisa @YorkStories

A guest contribution from architectural historian Alison Sinclair, on the Listed Building Consent application for the Terry’s factory clock tower — a plan to convert it into residential accommodation

A little over eighteen months ago, the York Environment Forum held an open meeting on behalf of the Leeds University research project ‘Living with History’, with the object of finding out what local people thought about the future use of Terry’s Clock tower, as an alternative to its conversion to residential use as was being proposed. Our Open Forum came up with a number of alternative suggestions for the Grade II Listed Building which were incorporated into a report which was sent to anyone who left a contact address, as well as to the City Council and to the developers.

As has recently been publicised in The Press, an application has now been submitted to the City Council for the subdivision of the Tower and the attached boiler house and pump house to form 22 apartments:

16/01647/LBC | Refurbishment and sub-division of former Clock Tower and Boiler House to form 22no. apartments with associated car parking, landscape works and access from Bishopthorpe Road | The Clock Tower Bishopthorpe Road York

It is proposed to achieve this by the insertion of additional floors into the tower itself, and by extending the two attached buildings upwards by adding extra floors. Provision of adequate light to the new flats in the Tower will require the enlargement of some of the existing windows, as well as the renewal of their glazing. Doing all this will change the character and appearance of the buildings by enlarging them and levelling and raising their stepped profile.

Terry’s clock tower, July 2007. Photo: Lisa @YorkStories

There is in fact some discrepancy in the number of flats proposed as contained in two of the supporting documents to the Planning Application, in which the number of flats proposed in one is 21, and in the other, 22.

Clearly, no account seems to have been taken of the suggestions for future uses in the Tower which were put forward by our Open Forum. The following is the list of suggestions:

• There should be public access to the tower which should include public space
• There should be a public access to a view point and viewing gallery at the top of the tower
• There should be an art centre, exhibition space and /or museum
• A museum could tell the story of chocolate-making and /or the history of horse racing
• A restaurant
• The tower should provide a link with local business
• Sports facilities – including scuba diving in the water tank (!)
• Part of a Terry’s / Goddards / chocolate tourist trail linked to the City centre using mini-buses and the river

No information is included in the application about how the famous Terry’s clock will be restored. This has been identified by The Antiquarian Horological Society as of national importance, being one of only two of its kind in the UK still working when the factory closed. It was also identified in the Development Brief for the site as “the most visually recognisable feature …” as well as one of the “landmarks and symbols for York” on the factory site.

It is of course a long time since the clock worked, and it is somehow apposite that the function and purpose of the Tower is being denied while the symbol of that purpose is being disregarded.

Terry’s factory clock tower, 19 Aug 2012. Photo: Kopex, flickr.com

One of the justifications for creating flats in the buildings put forward with the application is that the proposals for the conversion of the Clock Tower/ Boiler House building will provide much needed new housing for York. This is obviously a fact, but the question has to be asked about who is likely to buy a Clock Tower flat, which is likely to be small, possibly in a gated building, and hardly suitable for family living. Nor will any of them be ‘affordable’ housing as the developers have indicated they are not required to provide any ‘affordable’ housing on the Terry’s site. So these 21 or 22 flats are not likely to make much of an impact on the City’s acute housing needs.

The application is available for comment on the City of York Council website https://planningaccess.york.gov.uk/online-applications/:

16/01647/LBC 

It is hoped that a Community Forum will be held specifically to consider this application which has altered from any of the schemes for the Clock Tower previously publicised. This is a little questionable however, as the developers have claimed that they do not need an additional community event in the light of previous consultations. Much of the evidence of ‘community involvement’ submitted with this application relates to earlier events which did not include consideration of this specific scheme.

It is nevertheless hoped that the Council will require another consultation to be held. They have been asked to arrange this in conjunction with the developers but so far with no response.

It is of course the holiday period now when many people are distracted by other things. But anyone who has concerns about the future of the clock tower is urged to go online and register their concerns; and to keep a watch for notification of a public meeting at some future date yet to be decided, at which this scheme will be thoroughly aired to the local community.

— Alison Sinclair

Alison Sinclair worked for English Heritage for ten years. Her last contract before retirement was the revision of the Statutory List of Buildings of Architectural and Historic interest for York, during which she was responsible for the designation of Terry’s Clock Tower as a Listed Building.  She has been a member of the York Conservation Areas Advisory Panel since 1990, and was the founder and first Chair of the York Open Planning Forum.

More information

The Twentieth Century Society featured the clock tower as Building of the month in April 2016

The Terry’s factory buildings have featured on York Stories several times over the years. See ‘related pages’, below.

Lisa @YorkStories is having a summer break from writing but will return to more regular updates to this website as soon as possible. (If you’d like notification of this and other updates, join the mailing list.)

The post Time to comment: Terry’s clock tower appeared first on York Stories.

Before leaving the subject of clocks, I wanted to include a photo of this one, sent to me by Ian Dixon.

It’s not the type I’ve included on earlier pages, which were all street clocks or factory clocks. This too is a factory clock, but it lived inside, and once controlled factory time at the glassworks in York (Redfearn National Glass, pictured below, and previously mentioned on this page).

Ian would be interested in hearing from anyone who remembers the clock in the factory. If you do, please add a comment below.

Located near the works fitters workshop, it was used to set the time for the whole building, wired up to all the clocking-in clocks and clock dials, so factory time was controlled from one place. An easy and accurate way of controlling time in factories as it meant only one clock to worry about (and change twice a year when the clocks go forward/back an hour).

Apparently it was rescued from the factory when it closed, by a man from Acomb, who had it in storage until a couple of years ago. Ian has serviced it and replaced worn parts and restored it. It’s now on his living room wall.

Ian notes that the clock isn’t particularly valuable, but it is ‘a nice piece of history’. He intends to fit a small plaque inside it showing the factory dates.

Andy Tuckwell’s photo of the factory dates from 1977. It closed the following decade.

We tend to call it just ‘the glassworks’, but it was Redfearn National Glass from 1967 to 1984. Redfearn was founded in September 1967 from National Glass Works (York) Ltd (founded in 1930) & Redfearn Bros, Barnsley.

A glassworks had been on or near the site since the 18th century, my rather rushed Googled research suggests.

The factory buildings were demolished in the late 1980s. A hotel now occupies the site.

See the earlier page for Andy’s memories of working here for a short time in the late 1970s.

Thanks to Ian for the photo and information.

The post Glassworks clock appeared first on York Stories.

7.25pm, on Parliament Street.

This is the only city centre clock I remember finding particularly useful when younger, not for its time-telling necessarily but because it was an easily recognisable landmark and so often used as a meeting point. In the busy city centre, whether you were meeting a fellow resident or someone less familiar with the place, arranging to ‘meet under the Marks and Spencer’s clock’ always meant you found one another.

Though as it was so popular, there were often quite a few people standing about under the clock, so it didn’t work so well if you didn’t know what the person you were meeting looked like.

I don’t know if it still serves that purpose. Perhaps the person pictured is on his way to meet someone for an evening out, beginning at the M&S clock, at 7.30pm. In which case he’s a reliable type, as he’s a bit early.

Nearly 7.30pm, on Blossom Street.

The Bar Convent, handsome, classical and calm, its clock quietly keeping time, its handsome frontage looking over at the young upstart, the new kid on the block, the Premier Inn building with its broken clock, once Forsselius. The previous page mentioned the multi-faced Forsselius clock, which after about 80 years seems to have given up on accurate time-telling. No matter, as across the road the convent clock is reliably ticking over.

7.40pm, De Grey Rooms, Exhibition Square.

This one I pass all the time, and it’s now to me York’s most useful public clock, the one I look at when dashing in to town to meet someone, as my timekeeping is rubbish and I’m almost always late, and casting anxious or perhaps panicky glances towards it.

It’s a handsome thing, isn’t it, on its ornate iron bracket, near those equally elegant balcony railings. A thing of beauty, keeping time beautifully.

7.41pm, on Blake Street.

A good example of how taking photos makes you take more notice. Though I do sometimes look at this clock I’ve only just noticed that it carries a small reminder of a business based here on Blake Street for many years. House & Son, electricals. They left these premises about a decade ago, but left behind a reliable timepiece to remind us of their time here. A small consolation for those of us who still quite miss the old painted sign with the hand pointing to the shop door.

Almost 7.45pm, Coney Street.

This one, the ‘admiral clock’ is of course well-known and widely admired. It’s massive, and so prominent that it would be a shame if it didn’t function properly. It was restored recently and is looking very smart, with the admiral figure on the top looking up into the evening sun as I passed by.

There’s detailed and interesting information on the clock, previous clocks, and the wonderful ‘little admiral’ figure on the St Martin’s church website.

8.05pm, George Hudson Street.

On the corner, on what I think must have been the Co-op building, a clock with the maker’s name displayed prominently on the face. G J P Newey made this clock, presumably in the late 19th century or early 20th century. Again, I’d never really paid much attention to the lettering, but now I have it’s led me to this nice article about a descendant, Geoff Newey, and his many years of service looking after many of the city’s clocks.

8.25pm, Barnitts, King’s Square.

I noticed this clock when I stopped to watch morris dancers here in the square one evening in May. Normally I’m too intent on getting in through the doors of Barnitts to buy various essential items to pay much attention to what’s above.

This very handsome clock, designed by the architect Tom Adams, is watched over by one of his trademark black cats.

It’s perhaps not so common now for businesses to provide a public clock on the front of their buildings, but it seems right that Barnitts should have one, as they’ve been around for so long in York — since 1896, says the lettering under the clock. The lettering on the clock face itself marks Ian Thompson’s 50 years of service, from 1955 to 2005.

. . . . .

Our York clocks have taken us through one nicely rounded period of time, one evening hour, from 7.25pm to 8.25pm. This is merely happy accident, as actually these photos were taken on several different evenings, which explains how I got from Parliament Street to Blossom Street in about three minutes.

Time to sit down awhile, maybe watch some morris dancing, while the Barnitts clock quietly keeps time behind us.

Elsewhere on the web

A nice page on York clocks — Caroline’s Miscellany

While compiling these pages about clocks, songs about time and clocks keep coming to mind. Previously, that Cyndi Lauper song, Time after Time, from the 80s. While writing this page, it’s been songs by Nick Drake. At the Chime of a City Clock, and Time has Told Me. Nothing to do with York, just something I wanted to share, everyone who’s not heard them before should have a listen. Genius he was.

The post Keeping time: York clocks appeared first on York Stories.

I assume these clocks are as old as the buildings they’re on, and they’re arranged here in order of their appearance, based on that assumption.

The first, on a building dating from 1907, and probably easy to recognise. On the Coney Street frontage of TK Maxx, on a store originally built for Boots the Chemist. It’s either about three hours slow, or it’s stopped. In the 1970s this time of 5.15 would have been significant, as it meant only 15 minutes left to get your bath salts and Aqua Manda talc from Boots. But perhaps it matters less now, as TK Maxx is open until 7pm many nights. I know, as I’m often there after 5.30, rummaging around for bargains.

This frontage on Bridge Street was once the premises of Boyes. It displays not only a clock but the date of the building: 1911. A rebuilding, apparently, after a serious fire.

These flat non-sticky-out clocks aren’t as helpful, particularly when they’re high up in a narrow street, as they don’t exactly grab your attention. So perhaps it doesn’t matter that this one has apparently stopped too. Still, it was put there as a useful thing, just over a century ago.

On Blossom Street, the prominent clock tower of what was the Forsselius car showroom, built in the 1930s. Forsselius were so public-spirited they provided not one clock but three, so a clock face would be easily visible whether you were in front of the building or travelling up or down Blossom Street. (Actually, there may be four — I’ve never looked round the back of that tower.)

We used to get the school bus from opposite here, and I’m sure the clock worked then, and helped us work out how much time we had to gossip and buy sweets before the bus came. It wasn’t functioning when I dashed past recently, but then it is opposite the Bar Convent clock, which is keeping time. More on that story later.

This is also a prominent clock, high up on a street corner, on the Aviva (formerly Norwich Union) offices looming over Rougier Street. A 1950s/60s build. Pictured at around 8 o’clock, reflecting the evening sun, though the clock thinks it’s about ten minutes to one.

. . . . .

Providing a large clock hanging in the street or high up above the street was, presumably, a symbol of authority, trustworthiness, also a public-spirited approach, from Boots, Boyes, Forsselius and Norwich Union.

These days, if these clocks stop telling the time, and the hands are left randomly pointing, telling the right time only twice a day, it doesn’t really matter. Though I wonder if it confuses visitors to see big confident clocks on landmark buildings telling entirely the wrong time. (Of course it may be the case that they’ll all be working again by the time you read this. I’m interested in them but not interested enough to monitor the situation in the long term.)

They’re all rather handsome, and their styles different, reflecting their times.

There are of course many clocks on the streets of York still reliably time-telling. More to follow.

The post Sign of the times appeared first on York Stories.

Here’s one I’ve only recently noticed, having now developed public clock awareness after the page on the factory clocks.

It’s small, and rather grubby and faded, and in fact barely visible. The photo needed some digital enhancement to make it obvious that there’s a clock face in there. The clock stopped at around 6.20, decades ago by the look of it.

Having focussed my camera on these details, my mind focusses too while making these pages.

What seems initially straightforward often prompts many questions. All these small things link to something else, meant something, are there for a reason.

I used to research these things and put the answers on here. These days I’d rather think about the questions.

This little clock face, faded and forgotten, makes me wonder:

Was it wound by a person? Perhaps the person who looked after it noticed more impressive clocks nearby, like the flashy Norwich Union (now Aviva) one on the other side of the bridge, and thought theirs was relatively small and humble and now redundant. Maybe one day they were about to wind it and sat for a moment and thought, ‘this is pointless, look at that massive popular clock on the other side of the bridge, everyone looks at that now. And anyway, they’ve all got their own watches. This clock-tending is a bit pointless really. There are loads of them now’ — and went off and had a cup of tea instead.

Or maybe it was powered by electricity and the supply stopped. Maybe the person who paid for the electricity died. Or just got fed up and left. And the clock had its quiet death, without ceremony, at 6.20ish one morning/evening, when the supply was cut off.

Who knows — I’m just asking the questions.

If you’ve not noticed it either, and wonder where it is: Lendal Bridge.

The post Even a stopped clock appeared first on York Stories.

The Rowntree factory clock on Wigginton Road, fitted with a solar panel since its earlier appearance on these pages. Attention was drawn to these clocks after they were manually adjusted to just after 8 o’clock to celebrate the history of a particular line of confectionery once manufactured here.

After a brief spell during which the clock mechanisms disappeared, they’re now all back in place, all running on solar power, and are keeping time like they used to when they were properly useful, next to the factory gates.

There are two similar clocks near the Haxby Road ‘main entrance’, also now with solar panels on top.

And they’re still keeping time, weeks/months after being adapted to use solar power.

There’s no need, these days, for factory clocks and no real need for public clocks of any kind. No real need for any timepiece in the traditional form, for most of us, carrying a mobile phone. But we value things not just because we need them personally, to go about our daily lives, but because of a symbolic value beyond the immediate usefulness.

So Nestlé have invested in the future usefulness/symbolism of these old factory clocks, and they’re skilfully updated for the 21st century. Respect due to them and those who did the work involved. (Feel free to comment below if you were involved in this work.)

These clocks are quite humble, homely things. You have to look upwards to read them, but they don’t appear on the horizon and they’re not visible unless you’re in the street near them.

Whereas our other chocolate factory clock is a landmark. Terry’s of York – photo by Trev Pack, on flickr.com. Trev’s photo, taken from inside one of the factory buildings, captures two significant aspects in one photo – the clock tower, and the increasing dereliction of these old Terry’s factory buildings.

Photo by Kopex, on flickr.com. Taken from inside the tower, showing the damage to one of the clock faces from inside.

The Terry’s clock tower is often called ‘iconic’ – a landmark in its part of York. Being iconic/a landmark perhaps also means being the target for more bricks being thrown at the clock faces, and at the rest of the building. Whatever the cause, accidental or deliberate, it has certainly sustained some damage since the factory closed.

(Photo: Kopex) In recent months the sale and imminent development of the Terry’s site was announced. This isn’t the first time, and nothing has changed in real terms as yet as far as I’m aware. When work starts, it will begin with the building of new homes on the empty parts of the large factory site. When refurbishment of the factory building and its clock tower will begin — well, time will tell.

It will be a while before the Terry’s clock keeps time again. When it does, perhaps it too will be fitted with a solar panel, to harness natural power to turn the hands. For now it bides its time, a relic of York’s industrial past, a reminder that the times it was designed to mark are long gone.

See also

All three clocks at Rowntree’s were pictured in an earlier page: Time after time

Elsewhere on the web

50th anniversary of After Eight mints celebrated at Nestlé

More photos on flickr.com of the Terry’s factory buildings by Kopex and Trev Pack

And a recommended read: Vandals breach security at former Terry’s chocolate factory (York Press).
The Terry’s photos above were taken by people documenting this building and its history in their own way, with a camera. That this involved trespassing is not my concern. I’m glad to see the place recorded and the images freely shared. Otherwise most of us would never see inside these buildings. Whereas breaking into a building to damage its fabric and spray graffiti on its walls is vandalism. Two different things, as the comments under the linked Press story make clear. I particularly liked the comment by VladSchmidt at 11.08am.

The post Changing times: factory clocks appeared first on York Stories.