The man who has spent a lifetime looking after some of the UK’s most historic clocks, big and small, is sharing his knowledge with horologists in the USA.
Keith Scobie-Youngs, the co-founder of the Cumbria Clock Company, near Dacre, has presented a lecture to the Horological Society of New York about the task of repairing Big Ben.
In 2017, the Great Clock of Westminster – better known as Big Ben – was fully dismantled and removed from the iconic Elizabeth Tower for the first time since its installation in 1859.
The conservation project, completed in 2022, presented a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to examine, restore, and futureproof the world’s most famous public timepiece.
Keith shared behind-the-scenes details of the restoration process which took five years to complete, from the meticulous disassembly and transportation of the 5.5-ton movement to the intricate conservation techniques employed by his specialist team.
Every stage of the project was guided by a deep respect for the clock’s original craftsmanship and a commitment to ensuring its reliable operation for another 160 years and beyond.
Following the talk, Keith travelled to Barbados to examine the clock in St Michael’s Cathedral in Bridgetown.
He then returned to the US to visit the Plumier Foundation, an organisation committed to preserving craftsmanship and precision.
This week he will be lecturing at the National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors national convention which takes place in York, Pennsylvania. The association has nearly 10,000 members worldwide.
