The Victorian clock above Andrews Estate Agents on Wimbledon Park Road is keeping time again after a restoration that stumped two specialist companies before a third finally solved it.
The clock has been a fixture of the Southfields streetscape since 1910, when it was installed above what was then the original estate office for the new Grid homes being built across the neighbourhood. It was made by Benson of Ludgate Hill, clockmaker to Queen Victoria and Prince Edward of Wales, a detail that gives an otherwise modest shopfront clock a slightly improbable pedigree.
When the mechanism failed, Andrews approached two companies to repair it. Both attempted the job. Neither succeeded. The Clock Company Ltd, working with restorer Alex Jeffrey, fixed it by fitting an entirely new mechanism. The clock face was repainted and gold leaf applied to the hands.
Writing in the SGRA’s Grid News, Charles Runcie reports that Mark Anderson, Andrews’ business manager, said finding a capable company was the first challenge. “The restoration was a two-fold project,” Anderson said. “The first was sourcing a specialist company capable of refurbishing and restoring it to its former glory.”
The building is one of the oldest commercial premises in Southfields. Previous occupants include Ryan and Penfold, then HV Bragg, then Bells estate agents. Andrews has been there since 2004.
Anderson told the newsletter the clock’s return matters beyond the mechanism. “The successful repair and restoration of the clock is a source of considerable pride for us as a company,” he said. “We believe the clock holds significant historical value within the local community, and it continues to serve as a well-known landmark that many residents rely upon and recognise.”
Anyone coming out of Southfields station and glancing up Wimbledon Park Road will find it keeping time again.
The Southfields Grid Residents’ Association (SGRA) has represented residents of the Grid since 1975. Its Grid News newsletter covers local issues, history, and community news. Find out more at southfieldsgrid.org.uk.
