The time is right!

Holywells Park users can set their watches to the right time again!

The historic clock in the Victorian clock tower of the stable block in the Ipswich park is on time again, and the bell is chiming on hour, following maintenance work.

It had been out of action for a few weeks.

Park manager (east) Nick Wilcox has known the clock all his working life for the borough council. “It is great to get back in action again. People have been asking and emailing me about it.

“It is an important feature of the park and the community really love it I think people still use it to set their clocks.

“Now it is electronic it is the most accurate time keeper in Ipswich, along with the Town Hall clock.People have missed it while it has been out of action.
“The clock tower and stable block were renovated with the National Lottery funding in 2014 and are now back in use. For many years the stables were just used for storage. Now they include Bishops Cafe and look really good.”
“Before the clock was restored it was run by clockwork. The gardener used to have to climb the clock tower once a week, and to wind it 40 times! The weights remain which used to drive it but today it is all electronic.”

When it was updated a fourth clock face was added, to duplicate the three originals.

At the time of the Cobbold family, who built the house and owned the estate, the clock would have been seen and heard over a wide area. Where the homes of the Rivers estate are today were fields where wheat and barley were grown.

The springs on the parkland, of course, supplied the fresh water for brewing beer at Cliff Quay which the company, later Tolly Cobbold, exported around the world.

Local residents will have heard the chimes for decades. The mansion itself was demolished in 1962 had stood on the site since 1814. Only outbuildings, including the stable block and orangery remain and they are listed buildings.