THE iconic J B Joyce building on Station Road in Whitchurch looks set to be developed.
The Smith of Derby group, which acquired J B Joyce in 1965, is considering the site’s development potential and has written to the town council and Shropshire Council to discuss the best way forward.
Smith of Derby bought the firm when Norman Joyce, the last member of the Joyce family, retired.
JB Joyce, one of the oldest clock manufacturers in the world, was founded in Shropshire in approximately 1690.
It started with William Joyce who made longcase clocks in Cockshutt. The business was handed down from father to son and was based on the High Street in Whitchurch, in 1790, moving to Station Road in 1904.
From 1834, under Thomas Joyce, the firm made large clocks for churches and public buildings, at home and overseas, as well as for major railway companies.
The J B Joyce brand name has been upheld by Smith of Derby, which maintains many original J B Joyce heritage pieces still in operation in public places around the world.
On November 28, 2012, an auction was held to dispose of the surplus items accumulated at the factory, and J B Joyce enthusiasts, interior designers and collectors of historic items made bids to own a piece of horological history.
Smith of Derby is keen to preserve something of the site’s heritage – it is believed to be the only building in the world designed specifically for turret clock manufacture.
Many operations are now centralised in Derby, and although two clockmakers and one of the sales team continue to work out of Whitchurch, the site is unused.
The company is keen for all parties with an interest in the building's extraordinary heritage, to help to identify an appropriate use for it.
Dr Joe Smith, Smith of Derby director, said that the company was extremely keen to ensure that the historic frontage of the building remains intact.
He said: “We are looking at all avenues to try and respect the history of this fascinating building.
“We have the original 1905 architectural plans, which were simply dropped in by someone from the planning office many decades ago.
“It is a very handsome Edwardian industrial building, designed at a time when Joyce's was producing some of the largest and most celebrated clocks internationally.”
Dr Smith said that Smith of Derby treasures the Joyce company heritage, and is glad to have members of the team still working out of Whitchurch, but that design and production for major projects required the modern facilities at the much larger Derby headquarters.
He added: “This is certainly not a question of pulling out of Whitchurch or cutting links with the town that has been the home of JB Joyce for so long.”
Smith of Derby has lent a series of significant pieces to the town's museum and a sign on entering Whitchurch claims that it is “the home of clockmaking”.