Abseiling engineers have removed four historic clock faces from the tower of St Mary’s Church, marking the start of an ambitious restoration project aimed at preserving one of the village’s most recognisable landmarks.
The timeworn dials, visible across Bures, have not been cleaned or refurbished for more than a century. Years of exposure to wind, rain and frost had left their paint faded and their numerals difficult to read.
Specialist engineers used ropes and harnesses to descend from the medieval tower, carefully detaching each face and lowering them to the ground. The complex operation drew curious onlookers as parts of the village centre were cordoned off for safety.
Three of the four faces were removed during a full day of work on Tuesday. The final dial was lowered the following morning in what church officials described as a “slow and cautious” manoeuvre to avoid damaging the fragile metal.
The clocks will now be transported to a specialist workshop in East Sussex, where craftsmen will strip them back to bare copper before repainting and applying 25-carat gold leaf to the numerals.
The Reverend Daniel Whiffin said the restoration would give the clocks a new lease of life while retaining their historic character.
“They will strip them back to the bare copper and redo the painting with 25-carat gold leaf on the numerals and new paint,” he explained. “We hope they will be back in about five weeks’ time, towards the end of March, ready for Easter.”
According to local historians, the clock faces were installed during the Industrial Revolution, when factory shifts and agricultural work made accurate timekeeping increasingly important for villagers.
At a time before wristwatches were commonplace, the church clock served as a public timekeeper, regulating daily life. Its chimes and large dials became both a practical tool and a symbol of community order.
Over decades, however, the elements took their toll. Paint peeled, metal dulled, and parts of the numbers became almost invisible from street level, leaving the once-proud feature looking tired.
Church warden Chris Tomkinson said some residents had remarked that the fading clocks made the village appear neglected.
“They haven’t been renovated for over 100 years, and you couldn’t even read a couple of the faces because they were that worn out,” she said. “They looked shabby and that reflected badly on the village.”
For Tomkinson and other volunteers, restoring the clocks is about more than appearances. It is about safeguarding a piece of shared history that generations have grown up with.
“If they could talk, they would have quite a story to tell,” she added. “They’ve watched this village change for more than a century.”
Funding for the work comes from a financial legacy left by the Probert family, longtime supporters of the parish, specifically earmarked to “beautify the church.” The bequest allowed trustees to plan the specialist restoration without dipping into regular church funds.
The use of abseiling engineers was chosen to minimise disruption and avoid erecting large scaffolding around the tower. It also reduced costs and shortened the time the church grounds needed to be closed.
Residents stopped to photograph the unusual sight of helmeted workers suspended high above the ground, gently guiding the large circular faces downward with ropes.
For many, the spectacle underscored how deeply the clocks are woven into daily life. From schoolchildren checking the time on their walk home to shopkeepers marking the passing hours, the dials remain a familiar presence.
Once restored, the clocks are expected to gleam brightly again, with gold leaf numerals catching the sunlight and improving visibility from across the village.
Church leaders hope the refreshed faces will be reinstalled in time for Easter services, offering what they describe as a symbolic renewal for both the building and the community it serves.
As the tower temporarily stands without its timekeepers, villagers are already looking forward to their return — a polished reminder of heritage, craftsmanship and the enduring heartbeat of local life.
