Why time is standing still for 136-year-old clock

Richard Storey, of City of Lincoln Council, said the clock above the Stonebow in Lincoln requires specialist parts due to its age

A 19th-Century clock that has stopped working is "not an easy fix”, a council official has said.

The timepiece above the Stonebow in Lincoln’s High Street has been helping shoppers keep track of time since 1888.

There have been problems with the mechanism since May and time has stood still for the past two months.

Richard Storey, of City of Lincoln Council, said the delay in getting the clock ticking again is down to its age and the need for specialist parts.

The clock's mechanism was updated in 1959, but other parts still date back to the late1800s

“It’s a very complicated mechanism, with a combination of technology from the 1960s and very early clock technology from the late 19th Century,” he said.

The mechanism was updated in 1959 with an electric motor, but some parts of the clock date back to the 1800s.

Replacement parts will have to be specially manufactured by a clock repair company in Cumbria, the council said.

“We would love the clock up and running as soon as possible, but they are in high demand and we’re really in the hands of the specialists,” added Mr Storey.

The council said there was no confirmed date for when the repairs would take place.

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