The Clock Tower (click on
photograph to bring up bigger/better version).
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| Machynlleth is well-known to tourists as "the Town with the Clock". This landmark, formally entitled the Castlereagh Memorial Clock, was built in 1873 to mark the 21st birthday of Viscount Castlereagh, whose family seat was the Plas. Take a closer look though: how many Town Clocks also provide a good site for blackberry picking? A quick check in the Spring of 2001 showed that the clock was also host to dandelions, buddleias, two types of fern, ivy, moss and, right at the top, a small ash tree - in short, it needed a darn good weeding! By Christmas 2001 it looked pristine, but Summer 2003 showed that it was back to its weedy state again. Machynlleth Council has, very belatedly, now launched a restoration appeal, and it has all of the signs of being successful. For most of my childhood/teenage years I lived with the bonging of this clock every quarter hour, 24 hrs/day - just imagine what it must be like for the people living in the houses directly behind it! |