A beloved Norwich clock which has been in storage for more than a decade is to go on public show again... but not in the city.
The remarkable Gurney Clock, which used to stand in Chapelfield Gardens and then at Castle Mall, has not been seen by the public since it was removed from the shopping centre in 2015.
But leaders at Norwich City Council are set to agree to temporarily loan the timepiece, considered among the most accurate mechanical clocks in the world, to the Science Museum in London for a period of 10 years.
The proposals, which will go before the Green-led council's cabinet on Wednesday next week, would see the clock go on display at the Clockmakers' Museum, which is part of the internationally-renowned South Kensington museum.
The Gurney Clock was commissioned for the city in 1977, to celebrate 200 years of the well-known Gurney's Bank, now Barclays, which had its home on Bank Plain until 2003.
Taking 12 years to make, the timepiece was initially installed in Chapelfield Gardens in 1988, but was moved to Castle Mall in 1998.
In 2015 – and with that area of the mall undergoing a makeover – it was moved to storage at the former Mile Cross depot, before it ended up in storage at City Hall.
There had been discussions about putting the clock into the former Gurney Bank, now owned by the Norwich University of the Arts, but that move did not materialise.
Putting the clock on display at City Hall has also been considered, but there are plans to revamp that building so it would be at least five years before it could go on show.
So, the loan to the Science Museum is considered the best way forward, with the potential for it to go on display in City Hall once the decade-long loan to the Science Museum concludes.
Green councillor Josh Worley-Smith, cabinet member for business and social justice, said: “The Gurney Clock is not only a city treasure – it’s an international masterpiece, which needs to be on the world stage."
“We’ve tried to keep the Gurney Clock in the city, but alternative proposals have not materialised."
“The 10-year loan deal to the world renowned science museum is a fantastic opportunity for visitors, whether they are from Norwich, Newcastle or New York, to marvel at its mechanical majesty."
Council officials say the proposals would mean the clock would be treated to specialist restoration, recommissioning and ongoing maintenance at no cost to the council.
A shorter loan period was explored but the museum said only 10 years would justify the expenditure required.
Although the precision clock mechanism element of the Gurney Clock would temporarily move to London, the automaton aspect – a decorative, sculptural display featuring a lion and castle – will remain in Norwich in protective storage.
Officers, in the report which will go before councillors, acknowledge that there "may be some public opposition to losing a historical and heritage asset for the period of the loan".
But they state: "The recommendation to loan the clock to the Science Museum, allows for it to be exposed to a wider audience and ensures that it is recommissioned and restored to full working order.
"It also demonstrates proactive stewardship of an important heritage asset and positions Norwich City Council as a collaborative partner with a recognised world class institution, ultimately enhancing the prestige of the Gurney Clock by association."
TICK TOCK... NORWICH'S CELEBRATED CLOCK
Master clockmaker Martin Burgess spent more than a decade making the £250,000 clock, which featured a castle and a golden lion automaton.
On the hour, bronze balls travelled down a track to a set of scales and into the castle.
Burgess based the clock's workings on the work of 18th century John Harrison’s time-keeping technology.
It was initially installed in Chapelfield Gardens in 1987, but became a target for vandals.
It was moved to Castle Mall in 1998, after civic watchdog the Norwich Society campaigned to get it moved and restored.
When the Mall was revamped in 2015 it was moved into storage, where it has remained.
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