Warwickshire pub, The Clock, is celebrating after a recent £6,000 investment has seen the famous clock attached to the pub working once again, marking the first time in years that the 123-year-old clock will be telling the time to the Atherstone community.

The clock was originally commissioned by landlord Henry Watts for the coronation of King Edward VII, which saw a ceremony in 1902 for the official opening of the clock take place in the Atherstone town with hundreds in attendance. Watts, who previously owned the premises and the on-site White Bear Brewery, ran the pub until his passing in 1911.

Throughout the past 114 years, the pub has changed hands multiple times but has always been at the heart of the Atherstone community with the clock attached to the pub being ever-present, telling the time to locals for over 100 years.

Although, it’s not been all plain sailing for the clock. In the 1950s, the clock was damaged during one of the famously hectic Atherstone Shrove Tuesday Ball Games, which are famous for their aggression and chaos. While 1962 saw the clock damaged in a storm, and it had to be taken down for repairs for the first time in its history.

In the past few years, the clock stopped working altogether due to technical difficulties. As the clock was a traditional hand-wound mechanism, it was outdated and needed the £6,000 investment to bring the clock into 2025 where it could continue to tell the time in the colder outdoor conditions.

For local Pub Operator Tracey Mitchell, she knew how much the clock means to the local community and since becoming operator at The Clock, it was only a matter of time before she was going to get it working once again.

Tracey Odell, Operator of The Clock, said: “The clock is the feature we’re most proud of at our pub. It’s the pride of Long Street, and we always get people at the bar telling us how impressed they are by it, while also asking why it’s telling the time wrong!

“Many locals who have lived in Atherstone for decades are always telling us how much they would love to see the clock working again, and I was determined to be the one to get it up-and-running, so we’re so happy with how it looks now.

“It was great to see everyone out on Dickins Day over the weekend taking a look at the new clock, as we wanted it to be repaired in time for this huge celebration. We’ve already had some lovely comments on how thrilled people are to see it telling the time once again.”

The Clock pub in Atherstone is located on 32 Long Street in Atherstone and is proud to serve the local community, with the pub having some of the best drink deals in town and regularly putting on initiatives designed to bring the community together.

Find out more about The Clock pub by visiting here.