Rare one-handed York Castle Museum clock restored to former glory

The work was deemed necessary after York Museums Trust found the timepiece was in desperate need of attention.

“When I looked back over at Clifford’s Tower, I thought what a fantastic thing,” Mr Hutchinson said.

“Then I looked opposite at the clock and I thought, this looks really sad and we’ve got to do something about it.”

York Museums Trust worked with a specialist in historic paints to look underneath the weathered paintwork to develop the new paint and keep it true to the original.

Contractor Shaun Pickard, who applied 23-carat gold leaf to the clock’s numerals, said it had been exciting to be a part of the 10-day restoration project.

“The weather has been kind to us, because gold leaf and the breeze don’t mix very well,” he said.