Always on
This project successfully funded on 6th December 2025, you can still support them with a donation.
Clock Appeal for St Peters Church, Lang.Budville
Wellington, Somerset, United Kingdom
Aim
Help us raise £25,000 to restore St. Peter’s—a community treasure that unites us all. Every contribution helps protect this local icon!
St Peter’s Church clock was constructed by Gillet & Bland Steam Clocks of Croydon, Surrey in 1881 and has been the heartbeat of Langford Budville for generations, steadily counting the hours from the Victorian era, through two world wars, universal suffrage, the creation of the Welfare State and NHS, the end of Empire, Windrush, the Swinging Sixties, discontent, globalization, multiculturalism, optimism, umpteen world cups, Austerity, and Brexit.
Times change, but the steady ticking of the clock was maintained, with St Peters ringing out the hours of our lives. Until it stopped.
The original clock at St. Peter’s Church was wound manually every six days, ringing the hours and chiming on the quarter hours. The last clock-winder, Chris Fox, lived just across the road at Croxhall.
In the 1960s, the church switched to cutting-edge electronic equipment to automate the winding, but in doing so, many original parts were removed—making restoration a daunting task. To bring the clock back to its former glory, we may need to recast missing components or find parts from a similar Victorian clock.
In the 1980s, the bell frame was found unsafe to support the bells. Since it’s a Tudor relic, the bells were lowered in the tower and re-engineered—reducing their volume.
For decades, the auto-wind system kept time, powered by the dedication of Tim Wyatt and the church council. However, it stopped during the Covid-19 pandemic and has remained silent for five years.
Now, it’s time to hear those bells again!
We’re raising £25,000 to restore this local treasure, and every donation counts. While this is a significant amount, with the generosity of people like you, we can bring the clock back to life. This isn’t just a historic heirloom—it’s a symbol of community. Just as the Bow Bells define Cockneys, the peals of St. Peter’s unite us as Buddies.
Please help us restore the heart of our village!
St Peter's Church Building | Langford Budville PC
www.langford-budville.co.uk/friends-of-st-peter-s
Email [email protected] to help.
Funding method
Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made