Holyhead

On a very windy and wet day, Holyhead, on an island off an island off the mainland of Wales, feels like the end of the world. The town grew larger when it bacame a port for ferries to Ireland, a function it still has today.

The harbour is the reason for our first clock. Its expansion in 1880 was commemorated by a cast iron clock tower, with its explanatory plaque.

The clock was relocated in November 1990 to the southern end of the station in what is in effect a staff car park, but it was originally sited at the other end by the harbour.

The clock is by Joyce, and is featured on page 213 of Joyce of Whitchurch by Steve and Darlah Thomas.

Even in the wimdy and damp conditions, the clock tower looks impressive with its sturdy design and black and white decoration.

Clock number two is at Victoria Place, The official website (www.holyhead.com) shows a picture of the building in its prime, noting that "The Mayor of Holyhead, Councillor Jeff Evans, officially opened Holyhead's new clock and public space development known as Victoria Place at 12.00 am on Tuesday 1st June 1999". 

A quartter of a century on and the building no longer seems to be in use. Whilst the clock face still looks in good condition, the clock itself has stopped at 6.32.

The Market Hall is still very much in use. However, this too was for a long time a derelict building, and has only recently been refurbished and re-purposed as a community hub.

The Market Hall, now Grade II listed, was built in 1855 by the builder J. Edwards Thomas, as commemorated in the stonework around the clock.

One of the joys of clock spotting is that they turn up in unexpected places. Our next example is on what is the back of the Piranha Club on Boston Street.

Whilst piranhas are not fish that you would normally associate with the area, a news story on North Wales Live from August 2009 has the headline "Anglesey nightclub blasted for keeping piranhas". The fish were installed in tank in the club, and may still be there.

The club is opposite the harbour, which is in a secure area for port traffic only. There are two visible clocks, the first of which is on this set of dock buildings:

The second is on the harbour office built in 1821 on Salt Island. The weather was really closing in at this point reducing the visibility, and hence apologies for the very poor quality pictures of this clock.

More North Wales coastal town clocks to come.