Time to remember our brave airmen
You can’t clock the time with a quick glance at York Minster. It isn’t one of those churches which boasts a timepiece on each side of its tower. But inside, you’ll find one of the most interesting clocks ever made.
By the Minster’s ancient standards, the Astronomical Clock is practically brand new. It was only installed in the north Transept in 1955, as a tribute to the 18,000 men once based at RAF stations in and around Yorkshire who gave their lives in the Second World War.
Info
Address York Minster, Deangate, York YO1 7HH, +44 (0)1904 557200, www.yorkminster.org, info@yorkminster.org | Public Transport Closest bus stop: St Leonard’s Place | Hours Mon–Sat 9am–5:30pm, Sun 12:45pm–5:30pm| Tip Another curiosity worth seeking out in York Minster is the model of the SS Vale Of Pickering. Those who find it are asked to say a prayer “for all those who go down to the sea in ships.”
Created by Dr R. E. Atkinson of the Royal Greenwich Observatory – home of Greenwich Mean Time – the Astronomical Clock’s design is based on the appearance of the sky from the viewpoint of a pilot flying over York. Airplane crews used the stars to help navigate their way home, and the Astral Dial shows the northern stars which neither rise nor set, including the Great Bear and the Pole Star. The Zodiacal Dial, meanwhile, represents the horizon as seen by a navigator flying south over the city.
In front of the clock is the roll of honour. This demonstrates the international nature of the allies, including names of the fallen from Commonwealth countries including Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, as well as Poland, France, and Norway. The roll is decorated with illustrations of the aircraft these men flew – Wellingtons, Spitfires, Lancasters, Halifaxes, Tiger Moths, and more. An inscription reads, “They went through the air and space without fear and the shining stars marked their shining deeds.”
Originally conceived in 1944, the clock was unveiled by Prince Philip 11 years later. Though damaged in the devastating fire of 1984, it was subsequently repaired.
While you are visiting the north transept, look out for the Hindley Clock, which once hung over the Minster’s south entrance. Made by Henry Hindley in 1749, it features two 16th-century oak figures which strike the hour and quarter hour.
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