31 March 2025

Duncan Urquhart joins St Peter's clock winding team

Most of us no longer have to worry about winding up our watches or our clocks – digital technology and battery power means they keep on telling the time with minimal intervention.

But the clock at St Peter’s Church in De Beauvoir Town is believed to be as old as the church itself, dating from 1841. It needs weekly winding so that it continues to keep good time on all its four faces, one on each side of the church’s square tower. The latest recruit to the clock-winding team is our Maintenance Manager Duncan Urquhart who said he is honoured to take up the role. “It’s a real privilege to be asked to join the team – but it’s quite a workout,” he said. He explained that it involved climbing up the steps inside the tower to reach the clock mechanism and using a special handle to turn the winder, pulling weights to the top of the tower on a cable – a task that takes around ten minutes of constant winding.

Once in place the weights slowly fall to the bottom of the tower under gravity, driving the mechanism which powers the movement, including the bell which strikes the hour. The whole winding process has to be repeated every week. Duncan was recruited to the role by a long-standing member of the clock winding team, John Harris, who is standing down after 17 years and moving from the area. They met when Duncan was organising the repair to a boundary wall between John’s garden and a Benyon Estate property.

“John asked me if I would like to see inside the church tower,” Duncan said.  “It was fascinating and if you exit through the loft hatch to the very top of the tower you can see right across London.”

John explained the process of winding the clock to Duncan who was pleased to take on the task. “I’m really happy to help out – the church is such a central building in De Beauvoir,” he added. Duncan joins four other members on a clock winding rota, carrying out his duties once a month.

John said he had enjoyed his role on the clock-winding rota – although the job did require a fair bit of energy.  “We love the church,” he said. “We can see it from the back of our house and when we moved here a neighbour said they were looking for someone to join the team and I was happy to do so.”

St Peter’s Treasurer Paul Snow, a retired engineer, takes a special interest in the operation of the clock, which he says is reliable and needs minimal maintenance, beyond winding once a week and a regular dose of oil.

He joked that it was a responsibility rather than an honour to join the clock winding rota! “I usually have to recruit new people to the rota,” Paul said. “But in this case Duncan was nobbled by John who has been on the rota for a long, long time but is moving away.”

St Peter’s has strong connections with the Benyon Estate. Richard Benyon built the church in the early 1840s “to enhance the character and add lustre to the new estate” of De Beauvoir Town. The church continues to benefit from its relationship with the Benyon Estate and relies on the support of local people.  Paul, their treasurer, says that all donations for upkeep of building/fabric are most welcome and this is possible by clicking here. St Peter de Beauvoir - Parish Giving Scheme

Duncan’s efforts in winding the clock once a month will help ensure that residents and visitors to the area have no excuses for missing an appointment – even if their own watch has stopped.

All photos copyright © The Benyon Estate