North Shropshire tour, November 2022

Our November TCG Tour brought thirty-six of us into the beautiful Shropshire countryside, the first tour since the pandemic. Former Joyce employee, and our newest member, Keith Cotton helped to organise the tour and we had our own experts Steve and Darlah Thomas on hand to guide us.

Combermere Abbey

The first day began with Combermere Abbey, a former Grade I monastery founded in the 1130s by Hugh Malbank, Baron of Nantwich. It became a country house after the dissolution when Sir George Cotton acquired it as a reward for his service to Henry VIII. It remained in the Cotton family until 1919.

The present owner, Sarah Callander-Beckett, was our guide for the visit and led us through to a large panelled room, where, displayed on the dining table, were two movements. Although both of these have been removed from their original location, they were taken out of storage for our visit and are awaiting restoration.

The eighteenth-century wrought iron birdcage with ting-tang quarters was installed in the Wellington Tower next to the house. There is evidence in the Joyce records that Arthur Joyce had worked on it and it has a conversion to pinwheel by Joyce.

The second movement, previously in the Lodge Gate is an 1839 double frame, deadbeat anchor, timepiece with offset pendulum. In the gate it had a system of remote winding from the ground level.

The Joyce Workshop, Whitchurch

At our next visit, we were welcomed to the former Joyce Workshop in Shrewsbury by Christina Trevanion. Arthur Joyce oversaw the erection of this purpose built factory on Station Road with quick and easy access to the train station. Although made part of the Smith of Derby Group in 1965, the company remained there until production ceased in 2012. Trevanion Auctioneers, with their own funds and support from grants have restored and transformed the building.

After a talk from Keith Cotton about his thirty years working at Joyce, Christina spoke about the changes they have made and it was very touching to see her genuine warmth and love for the building and its history. The clock movement is in storage at present awaiting restoration.

Morris Oil Works, Shrewsbury

Following lunch, we met in Shrewsbury. Morris Lubricants is one of the largest privately owned manufacturers of premium quality lubricants in Europe and deliver to more than eighty-five countries. A fascinating talk covered many aspects of the processes including procedures, base oils and additives.

After the talk we donned our high vis vests and shoe protectors and had a tour around the facilty. We saw where the base oils and additives are stored together with the facilities and processes by which these are combined into the final product. Morris Lubricants deliver their product in the usual 205l drums as well as much larger aluminium bulk tanks and 5l plastic containers as well as every size in between.

We all enjoyed the tour and the chance to understand how lubricants are created.

St Luke, Weston-under-Redcastle

Day one ended with a visit to the Grade II listed church of St Luke. Built in Gothic Style but with a Georgian tower, it was originally a chapel of ease attached to the parish of Hodnet and was mostly funded by Sir Richard Hill, 2nd Baronet of Hawkstone. Much restored in the late nineteenth century including the chancel, the gabled timber porch, stained glass, pews and octagonal font.

The clock movement is a wrought iron birdcage associated with the Joyce family and another that had been converted to pinwheel.

St Alkmund, Whitchurch

On the second day, following a talk by Steve and Darlah and the AGM, we met at St Alkmund in Whitchurch.

The original church was built in the foundation of the church, named for Alcmund of Derby, is 912. However, the earliest record of a church on the site is 1089. The church was built in white stone, giving the name to the town. The first Rector was instituted in 1296. Sir Henry Percy (Hotspur) was temporarily buried here in 1403 following his death at the Battle of Shrewsbury. Towards the end of the fifteenth century, the body of John Talbot, 1st Earl of Shrewsbury, who had been killed at the Battle of Castillon in 1453, was removed to the church. His embalmed heart was buried under the porch and his bones lie under his effigy in the Lady Chapel.

On 31st July 1711, the central tower of the medieval church collapsed and the church had to be rebuilt. The foundation was laid on 27th March 1712 and the new church was consecrated on 8th October 1712. The church was restored in 1877–79 and again in 1885–86. In 1900–02, the brick internal walls were refaced with stone and the apse was redecorated. The porch was rebuilt in 1925 and the north and south galleries were removed in 1972.

Whitchurch Heritage Centre

After finding our own lunch we walked down the High Street and viewed the Joyce workshop which was used until 1904, then walked to the Heritage Centre which has several Joyce items, including the pattern for the skeleton dials for the Shanghai Clock.

We also viewed two Joyce movements together with a video of Paul Fraser talking about the work he did at Joyce. Some of us also used the chance to do a bit of shopping at the Heritage Centre.

Cloverley Hall, Calverton

Cloverley Hall is a grade II* listed former Victorian country house designed by the twenty-nine year old architect William Eden Nesfield. It was originally built for Liverpool banker John Pemberton Heywood between 1864 and 1870 at a cost, exclusive of decoration, of £60000.

The original main wing was five storeys high, as high as the present clock tower, with a footprint area covering approximately 450ft x 400ft. The unusual Victorian Great Hall room was 55ft long, 30ft wide and 27ft high. Heywood had no children and the Hall passed to a nephew. It was such a large house that it became difficult to maintain, particularly after the First World War when fewer people were prepared to return to a life in service. With all the rooms in the building heated by coal fires there were a minimum of twenty five servants required to look after the old building.

In 1926, the owner took the decision to demolish the main family wing leaving the present buildings – originally the servants’ quarters, stables, coach house, servants’ hall, laundry and kitchens. After the Second World War it was converted for use as a boys' school and since 1968 has been in use as a Christian Conference Centre.

St Swithin, Cheswardine

The Church is dedicated to St Swithun, a Saxon saint born in Winchester about 800 AD. This is at least the third church on this site, and was rebuilt in 1887–1889 under the direction of the architect John Loughborough Pearson, who died before the work was completed. The work was completed with the assistance of funding by the then squire of the Cheswardine Estate, Charles Donaldson-Hudson, who provided half of the estimated cost of £8,500.

Cheswardine has Churchwardens’ accounts from 1544 onwards. In 1593, an oak frame had been installed in the tower to support the bells and this served until 1929. Due to excessive movement of the bell suspensions, terrific vibrations occurred during ringing and this cracked off the pinnacle tops from the tower. Hence, a new steel frame with ball bearings for the bells was installed in 1929 and two extra bells added to give a full peal of eight.

See Steve and Darlah’s book ‘Joyce of Whitchurch Clockmakers 1690–1965’ for more information and photographs of the clock movements seen on the tour.

Photos: Sarah Callander-Beckett, Steve and Darlah Thomas and Sue Hines.