Manual Ref* SUwaSO002 Show 4 images 130
Title*

Mechanical water clock
County Suffolk   District Council Waveney District Council 
Civil Parish or equivalent Southwold  Town/Village* Southwold 
Road Pier 
Precise Location Middle of Pier 
OS Grid Ref TM507759  Postcode IP18 
Previous location(s) Not known 
Setting Outside  Access Public 
Artist/Maker Role Qualifier
Tim Hunkin  Designer(s)   
Will Jackson  Other   

Commissioned by

 Thames Water in 1998 Iredale family for Southwold pier 2001 

Design & Constrn period

 1998 and 2001 

Date of installing

  

Exact date of unveiling

  

Category
Abstract Animal Architectural
Commercial Commemorative Composite
Free Functional Funerary
Heraldic Military Natural
Non-Commemorative Performance Portable
Religious Roadside, Wayside Sculptural
Temporary, Mobile Other  

Object Type
Building Clock Tower Architectural
Coat of Arms Cross Fountain
Landscape Marker Medallion
Mural Panel Readymade
Relief Shaft Sculpture
Statue Street Furniture War Memorial
Other Object Sub Type: Mechanical water clock

Subject Type
Allegorical Mythological Pictorial
Figurative Non-figurative Portrait
Still-life Symbolic Other

Subject Sub Type
Bust Equestrian Full-length
Group Head Reclining
Seated Standing Torso
Part Material Dimension
Clock and figures  Recycled copper  H. 4 metres W. & D.. 90 cms 
Pool  Wooden sides  H. 50 cms W&D 150 cms. 

Work is
Extant Not Sited Lost

Owner/Custodian

 Southwold Pier 

Listing status
Grade I Grade II* Grade II Don't Know Not Listed

Surface Condition
Corrosion, Deterioration Accretions
Bird Guano Abrasions, cracks, splits
Biological growth Spalling, crumbling
Metallic staining Previous treatments
Other  
Detail:

Structural Condition
Armature exposed Broken or missing parts
Replaced parts Loose elements
Cracks, splits, breaks, holes Spalling, crumbling
Water collection Other
Detail:

Vandalism
Graffiti Structural damage Surface Damage
Detail:

Overall condition
Good Fair Poor

Risk
No Known Risk At Risk Immediate
Signatures/Marks  
Inscriptions Board at bottom describing the mechanism: THE CLOCK WAS MADE IN 1998 AS A TEMPORARY FEATURE ABOUT WATER RECYCLING SPONSORED BY THAMES WATER. WATER IS PUMPED TO THE TOP OF THE CLOCK FROM THE POND. WATER GRADUALLY FILLS THE BATH AND THEN OVERFLOWS & WATERS THE FLOWERS. THE FIGURES AND CHIMES ARE POWERED BY WATER FROM THE BATH. ALL THE COPPER COMES FROM OLD HOT WATER CYLINDERS. ORIGINALLY THE ESCAPEMENT WAS WATER POWERED BUT IT WAS RATHER UNRELIABLE SO NOW ITS ELECTRIC. THE CLOCK'S ESCAPEMENT OPENS A VALVE TO EMPTY THE BATH. THE CLOCK WAS MADE BY WILL JACKSON & TIM HUNKIN. TRY TIM'S SLOT MACHINES ALSO ON THE PIER 

Description (physical)

 At the top a clock with underneath two figures in a bath and below that two men wearing pants besides a flush toilet. At the bottom a tub with flowers. In addition to the bath watering the flowers at the hour and half-hour the two men let down their pants and pee into the toilet (missing in high winds). 

Description (iconographical)

 Southwold pier was built in 1900 at a length of 245 metres - along with piers at Lowestoft and Felixstowe - to allow the Belle steamer to dock. A wooden pavilion was later added to the shore end. The landing stage was swept away in storms in 1934. It was sectioned during the war for fear that it might serve for a German invasion and although repaired in 1948, it was reduced in length by storms in 1955 and 1979. It was restored by the Iredale family from 1987 onwards, who by 1999 had raised enough funds to restore it to its original length. According to Tim Hunkin the clock was originally built as a temporary water feature, funded by Thames water, on the theme of recycling. It was made in three weeks to an impossibly tight budget and was very unreliable. The clock was scrapped, but the owner of Southwold Pier saw the pile of bits and commissioned us to start from scratch reusing some of the original parts. Most people seemed much more interested in watching the water powered chiming performance than the clock mechanism so we decided to cheat. The hands and pendulum are now powered electrically. The pier houses a series of mechanical features by Tim Hunkin which provide him with a regular source of income. 

Photographs

 Date taken:  31/7/2006
Date logged: 

Photographed by:
Sarah Cocke

On Site Inspection

 Date:  31/7/2006

Inspected by:
Richard Cocke

Sources and References

 www.timhunkin.com/63_southwold_water_clock.htm 03/08/06 www.theheritagetrail.co.uk/piers/southwold%20pier.htm 03/08/06 

Database

 Date entered:  3/8/2006

Data inputter:
Richard Cocke