Turret clock
Year Country Place Location Name Type Mention Comment
1283 United Kingdom Dunstable Priory horologium not known Annals of the priory 1283 - Eodem anno fecimus horologium quod est supra pulpitum collocatum Probably a verge and foliot clock because it was mounted over the rood screen , where refilling a water clock would have been difficult , it has been proposed as the earliest known mechanical clock
1284 United Kingdom Exeter Cathedral Exeter cathedral clock not known grant made July 1284 to Roger de Ropford , bellfounder , to repair orologium It is unlikely that this 1284 clock was a verge and foliot clock . The clock mentioned in the grant was probably a water clock . In 1423 , a new clock was installed , which is probably the one from which remnants of the striking train can still be seen
1286 United Kingdom London St Paul 's Cathedral Bartholomo Orologiario clock not known Compotus Bracini 1286 probably a water clock
1288 ( ? ) United Kingdom Oxford Merton College not known bursarial accounts Expense orologii probably a water clock
1290 United Kingdom Norwich Norwich Cathedral not known Sacrist 's roll 1290 In emendacione orologio probably a water clock
1291 United Kingdom Ely Ely Abbey not known Sacrist 's roll 1291 pro custodia orologii probably a water clock
1292 United Kingdom Canterbury Christchurch cathedral novum orolgium not known list of Prior Henry of Eastry 's works novum orologium mangum in Ecclesia probably a water clock
Table of early public turret clocks -- Thirteenth century
The verge and foliot escapement is thought to have been introduced sometime at the end of the thirteenth century , so very few if any of these clocks had foliot mechanisms ; most were water clocks or in a few cases , possibly mercury .
A turret clock or public clock is a clock designed to be mounted high in the wall of a building, usually in a clock tower, in public buildings such as churches, university buildings, and town halls. As a public amenity to enable the community to tell the time, it has a large face visible from far away, and often a striking mechanism which rings bells upon the hours. Although the term 'turret clock' was not used by clockmakers until recent times, it is one of the earliest types of clock. Beginning in 12th century Europe, towns and monasteries built clocks in high towers to strike bells to call the community to prayer. Public clocks played an important timekeeping role in daily life until the 20th century, when accurate watches became cheap enough for ordinary people to afford. Today the time-disseminating functions of turret clocks are not much needed, and they are mainly built and preserved for traditional, decorative, and artistic reasons. To turn the large hands and run the striking train, the mechanism of turret clocks must be more powerful than that of ordinary clocks. Traditional turret clocks are large pendulum clocks run by hanging weights, but modern ones are often run by electricity.