After the Whitchurch Herald ran a story this week regarding the restoration of a memorial clock in Colwyn Bay, it got us thinking about where the most famous examples of timekeeping from the town are.

The new clock in the Bay was based on the original Joyce design and we want to show six examples, both home and abroad, of where Joyce clocks have been found.

Joyce is, of course, JB Joyce, the famous clock makers founded in 1690 whose building now houses the antique dealers Trevanion and Dean in Station Road, but they were originally based in Cockshutt and an off-shoot of the company carried on all the way to 2012.

So here are six examples of Joyce clocks – three at home and three abroad:

Eastgate Clock, Chester

Eastgate and Eastgate Clock in Chester, Cheshire, England, stand on the site of the original entrance to the Roman fortress of Deva Victrix.

It is a prominent landmark in the city of Chester and is said to be the most photographed clock in England after Big Ben.

The original gate was guarded by a timber tower which was replaced by a stone tower in the second century, and this in turn was replaced probably in the 14th century.

In 1897, Joyce made the winding mechanism for it and until 1974 provided a workman who travelled to Chester to wind it up each week.

The clock was a tribute to Queen Victoria.

Liverpool Lime Street Station

The first thing any commuters arriving into platforms 7-10 at Lime Street will notice when they disembark is a giant clock on the steel structure bearing the name Joyce and Whitchurch.

Whitchurch Herald: Liverpool Lime Street station.

It is not know when the iconic clock was first placed in Whitchurch but it is one of the more striking of the Joyce clocks in existence.

The terminus – the only in Merseyside – was officially opened in 1936 to replace Edge Hill as a city centre arrival point for travellers.

University of Birmingham

Students at the University of Birmingham in Edgbaston will recognise this building in an instance, but they may not know that the clock inside is a Joyce.

The Joseph Chamberlain Memorial Clock Tower, or simply Old Joe, is a clock tower and campanile located in Chancellor's court at the University of Birmingham, in the suburb of Edgbaston.

Whitchurch Herald: Joseph Chamberlain Memorial Clock Tower, University of Birmingham.

It is the tallest free-standing clock tower in the world, although its actual height is the subject of some confusion. The university lists it as 110 metres (361 ft), 99 metres (325 ft), and 100 metres (328 ft).

Joyce built the clock face at five metres wide!

And now further afield...

General Post Office, Sydney

The building of the General Post Office, or known as the Sydney GPO, started in 1866 and is one of the best buildings Down Under.

Although there is no confirmation of it being a Joyce clock, it is believed it is and that the 'three-train flatbed clock with gravity escapement' was originally made in the United Kingdom and installed in 1891, but its hands were turned by an electric motor since 1989.

Whitchurch Herald: The General Post Office in Sydney.

In 2020 the clock underwent a major refurbishment involving repairs to the glass, stone and metalwork, as well as the mechanism. The intention was to maintain its heritage, make the clock accurate, and have it play a full Westminster chime like Ben Ben.

City Hall, Cape Town, South Africa

Cape Town City Hall is a large Edwardian building in Cape Town city centre which was built in 1905.

It is located on the Grand Parade to the west of the Castle and is built from honey-coloured oolitic limestone imported from Bath in England.

Whitchurch Herald: City Hall in Cape Town, South Africa.

The tower of the City Hall has a Turret Clock which strikes the hours and chimes the Westminster quarters. The faces of the clock are made from four skeleton iron dials filled with opal.

The clock has a 24-hour wheel and lever. The bells were cast by Messrs John Taylor and Co of Loughborough and the clock was supplied by Joyce of Whitchurch.

Custom House, Shanghai

The Custom House is an eight story building on the Bund, Shanghai.

Built in 1927, the building remains a customs house today. Together with the neighbouring HSBC Building, the Custom House is seen as one of the symbols of the Bund and Shanghai.

The clock is another Joyce and is the most noted feature of the Custom House is the clock tower and clock.

Whitchurch Herald: Custom House in Shanghai.

The clock tower offers views over the entire Bund and Shanghai city centre. It has four faces, each with a diameter of 5.3 meters (17 ft), with 72 automatic lamps.

The clock and bell mechanisms are built according to the design of Big Ben at the Palace of Westminster. The clock mechanism was built by Joyce & Co in England before being shipped to Shanghai in 1927.

It remains the largest clock in Asia.