Right On Time! – A More Precise Camborne Town Clock

Many people may not realise that Camborne is home to its very own piece of history, quietly housed within the clock tower above the building now occupied by Wetherspoon’s.

While you might glance up to check the time or hear the bells chime on the hour, behind the four clock faces sits a mechanism of significant historical importance.

The clock was constructed over 150 years ago by Edward Dent and is now one of only four of its kind remaining in the UK. Renowned as an outstanding example of engineering, its design was considered so efficient that it was later replicated—on a much larger scale—for the Great Clock at the Houses of Parliament, more commonly known as Big Ben.

The connection to Big Ben does not end there. The bell housed beneath the Camborne clock was made by the same bell maker responsible for the much larger bells within the Elizabeth Tower.

As with any historic mechanism, age inevitably affects accuracy. Over recent days, specialist horological engineers, commissioned by Camborne Town Council, have been carefully servicing, maintaining, and sympathetically enhancing the clock’s operation. This work includes the addition of discreet modern technology alongside the original mechanism to improve accuracy while preserving its historic integrity.

This sensitive modernisation will ensure more precise timekeeping, reduce the need for regular manual adjustments, and deliver long-term operational and cost efficiencies, all while safeguarding an important part of Camborne’s heritage.

Next time you pass, take a moment to look up—and reflect on Edward Dent’s remarkable legacy, still keeping time in the heart of the town.