Newton Aycliffe town clock survived a major redevelopment

NEWTON Aycliffe is a town with few landmarks and little in the way of historic buildings.

That’s probably precisely because it is exactly what its name suggests – a new town.

Read more: The Blue Bridge: Landmark played crucial role in development of Newton Aycliffe

However, it’s now more that 70 years since the first sod was cut to establish the town and Newtonians are proud of those landmarks that do exist.

Today’s ‘object’ is one of those – the town clock.

For decades, the day-to-day business of residents and shoppers in the town centre has been punctuated by the distinctive chimes coming from the clock tower.

Towering above its surrounding buildings at 77ft high, the clock dominates the skyline and has become a symbol for the town.

We have been unable to find out the exact date of construction, but it must have been started in the late 1950s – perhaps readers with longer memories can enlighten us further.

Aycliffe Town Centre as is looked in October 1979, with the town clock in the background. This view was unaltered for decades

The bells were manufactured by Taylors of Loughborough – to this day the largest bell foundry in the world – and were hung at the top of the tower in 1959.

They play a Westminster chime – also known as Westminster quarters, as the melody marks every quarter hour.

The number of chime sets matches the number of quarter hours that have passed. The full hour chime consists of the fourth-quarter chime followed by one strike for the number of the hour of the hour strike – one strike for one o’clock, two strikes for two o’clock, and so on.

And there it stood, unaltered, looking over Newton Aycliffe’s town centre for decades.

However, the clocks chiming days seemed numbered, when plans for the redevelopment of Newton Aycliffe’s tired looking town centre were announced in 2013.

Churchill House, which stood alongside the clock tower, was to be demolished. Other landmarks, like the town centre ramp, were earmarked for destruction.

The town clock, it seemed, would also be no more and Newtonians voiced their dismay on social media.

Town Centre Manager Bryan Haldane and Phil Wilson MP during the redevelopment of Newton Aycliffe town centre in 2015, in front of the still standing clock tower. Picture: STUART BOULTON

However, when the £2m makeover plans were revealed, Freshwater – owners of the town centre – described the clock tower as “a well-liked architectural feature” and was to be retained.

Opinion was divided when the new look clock tower was unveiled in 2016.

The original tower remained, but it was surrounded by a new wall of bricks, stretching up about two thirds of the column’s height.

Some thought the combination of new and old brickwork just didn’t work – “disgusting”, “horrible” and “embarrassing” were some of the words used.

But others, which accepting it could have looked better, were thankful the landmark was preserved.

Newton Aycliffe's town centre clock

“It has had value as a piece of our town’s history,” said Great Aycliffe Town Councillor John Clare at the time.

“It’s part of where we come from and it’s worth preserving for that reason.”

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