The clock is built into the south face of All Saints church tower. Although it is known that the tower was built about 1458, there are no records as to the age of the clock itself.
The clock has an angled square face with a single hand. It was blacksmith built around a ‘birdcage’ frame held together with hand-made screws and nuts.
The clock weight had to be wound up every 24 hours, which was the duty of the parish clerk, who was paid 10 shillings a year (which was increased to 15 shillings in 1720). The last recorded work on the clock took place in 1820. The clock fell into diduse in 1939.
In 1994, during the early days of Caddhist, it was decided to set up a ‘Clock’ committee with the object of restoring it to working order again. Before work could begin, permission had to be obtainedfron the Diocean Authorities, with valuable assistance from English Heritage.
The basic workings of the clock are as originally built but the winding mechanism is now automated (which saves paying the parish clerk 75p a year to wind it every day)
The project was finally completed in 1997 and the clock and the (repaired) tower were rededicated by Lord Runcie on 19 October 1997. Further modifications to the automatic winding mechanism took place in 2005.
Caddhist has published a booklet describing the restoration of the clock, and a copy can be obtained from Caddhist.