On this Day 1975: A visit to Lincoln Cathedral clock tower

On this Day: November 3rd, 1975

ATV Today’s Bev Smith climbed the 180 steps up the clock tower of Lincoln Cathedral with 71-year-old George Stowell and learns how he maintains, winds and keeps the clock accurate.

The report shows George walking up the stone stairs of the tower. This is followed by Bev’s interview with Mr. Stowell about his work at the clock tower, shots of the two men winding the clock mechanism and listening to the radio as Big Ben strikes to record the clock’s accuracy.

Lincoln Cathedral confirmed in 2020 that George Stowell was the very last of the Cathedral clock winders after centuries of cock winding. From the 1960s onwards churches and cathedrals were installing ‘automatic electric winder systems’ for their clocks, which were much cheaper. But most definitely not as interesting as Mr Stowell.