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The Encyclopedia of Horology

Astronomical clock with jousting-knight automata · England

Wells Cathedral Clock

Partially verified

One of the oldest surviving astronomical clock dials in England, showing a geocentric (pre-Copernican) display of the sun and moon appropriate to its period of construction.

Technical facts

Dial
Geocentric astronomical display of sun and moon position, plus a 24-hour dial
Automata
Jousting knights that rotate on the quarter-hour

Historical significance

  • One of the oldest surviving astronomical clock dials in England, showing a geocentric (pre-Copernican) display of the sun and moon appropriate to its period of construction.
  • The original medieval movement was removed and is now displayed at the Science Museum, London, while the cathedral's visible dial is driven by a later replacement movement — a distinction researchers must state clearly rather than implying the original medieval mechanism still drives the public-facing clock.

Photographs

Wells clock
Wells clock — DeFacto, CC BY-SA 4.0. Wikimedia Commons file page
Wells clock exterior
Wells clock exterior — DeFacto, CC BY-SA 4.0. Wikimedia Commons file page
Wells Cathedral - Clock - geograph.org.uk - 7154193
Wells Cathedral - Clock - geograph.org.uk - 7154193 — Colin Smith, CC BY-SA 2.0. Wikimedia Commons file page

Photographs are illustrative examples of the type, not necessarily the exact object described. Verify details against the source file page.

Sources & references

  1. Science Museum Group, collection records for the original Wells Cathedral clock movement
  2. Wells Cathedral, published visitor information

Where sources disagree, the disagreement is stated rather than resolved silently.