Village begins search for clock sent to repairer nearly 100 years ago.

RESIDENTS think it is about time their village hall clock was returned – nearly a century after it was sent away for repair.

The clock was removed from the village hall in Barningham, near Barnard Castle, shortly before the First World War and sent to Ripon, to be repaired and cleaned.

However, the clock never returned and now the village history group has launched an attempt to find it.

The clock was first mounted above the main entrance to the hall when it was built in 1875.

A newspaper report from the time described the clock as an “eight day clock made by Benson of London, two feet in diameter”.

The hall still bears the round stone surround which the clock used to be housed in, but no one in the village is old enough to remember it in situ.

Jon Smith, chairman of Barningham Local History Group, said: “The issue came up at our last meeting when somebody just said ‘whatever happened to our clock?’ “In truth, we don’t have a clue where it is or what happened to it.”

There are rumours in the village that the clock may have made its way back to Barningham, but never been returned to its position on the village hall, so it could have been in the village all this time.

However, Mr Smith said he thought the chances of the history group, which was set up last year, tracking the clock down were slim.

He said: “It was taken down after a few decades of being up there – perhaps because it needed a clean and a repair job.

“We know it was sent to Ripon, but we don’t know where.

“In all honesty, I think the likelihood of us tracking it down is very remote, but I suppose it would be nice if we could.”

Anyone who may have any information about the clock is asked to call Northern Echo reporter Will Roberts on 01388-602232