A special ceremony to mark the completion of major improvements to the city centre will take place next week.
On Tuesday, November 8 the historic and much travelled Pierhead Clock mechanism will be unveiled at its new home on St Mary Street.
A pedestrian-friendly environment and a better place to live, work and shop in the city centre has been created by the repaving of St Mary Street and High Street which is one of the city’s historic thoroughfares.
The work, which has also resulted in a reduction in traffic, pollution and noise levels,was carried out in several phases and has involved the complete repaving and hard landscaping of the area. It has also created the Cardiff’s Castle Quarter, with further improvements and repaving work completed in Church Street, Womanby Street, Quay Street, Guildhall Place and Wharton Street.
As a result the area is now being used not only to host a weekly farmer’s market but a number of businesses have been able to place table and chairs outside so people can enjoy al fresco dining.
With the repaving works now complete, Cardiff Council will be holding a special parade and ceremony that will culminate in the unveiling of the Pierhead Clock mechanism.
The 100-year-old mechanism, which is based on London’s Big Ben, was originally installed in Cardiff Bay’s Pierhead building in 1897.
But after being replaced with an electronic drive motor the mechanism was auctioned off by British Rail in 1973 and then sold onto American collector Alan Heldman three years later.
Despite several missing parts being added, the clock mechanism was never properly restored and lay unused in Mr Heldman’s Alabama workshop. In 2004 he decided that the mechanism should be returned to Cardiff and a year later it arrived back.
The mechanism, which has now been reassembled and restored, will be making its return to the city after almost 40 years, and will be unveiled within a piece of contemporary public art as part of the work to make St Mary Street and High Street a pedestrian-friendly area.
Silversmith Marianne Forrest has created a piece of art to house the clock mechanism, around which will be a metallic question mark, providing information about the history of the clock and the docks area.
Marianne has been working with children from Mount Stuart Primary School, who have been researching buildings around Cardiff Bay and have come up with designs that Marianne has etched into the final piece.
The mechanism will now be used to operate the new clock which will be based at the junction of St Mary Street and Wood Street. The position of the new clock is important as in the late 18th Century this is where ships would have operated before Cardiff Docks were built.
The new clock will also house three replica monkeys who will strike hourly chimes and entertain and visitors and children alike. The monkeys also have historical significance as the Marquis of Bute, who originally commissioned the Pierhead building, also designed the monkeys for one of the rooms of Cardiff Castle as a rebuttal of Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution.
The scheme has been part funded by the Council and through sponsorship from a number of companies, including the Principality Building Society who has donated £5,000 to maintain the clock for the next five years.
Cardiff Council Leader, Councillor Rodney Berman, said: “St Mary Street and High Street is one of the most high profile areas of the city and Cardiff Council has been fully committed to transforming its environment by improving the area and making it pedestrian-friendly.
“This has been a huge project but the end results are stunning and will contribute to creating a retail area and environment that will further enhance Cardiff’s reputations as one of the countries top retail destinations.”
He added: “The Pierhead clock mechanism has been on quite a journey, travelling from Cardiff Bay to Alabama and back again. I am now pleased that we have been finally given the opportunity to give it a permanent home at the end of St Mary Street.
“The new clock is a really impressive piece of public art that will complement the paving work on St Mary Street and High Street.”
Executive Member for Economic Development and Transport, Cllr Neil McEvoy who will unveil a plaque to mark the completion of the pedestrian friendly area , said: “St Mary Street and High Street have been completely transformed. In their new pedestrian-friendly state they provide new opportunities for the businesses along both streets and many have already placed tables and chairs outside to take advantage of the extra space provided.
“The revamped Pierhead clock is a fascinating piece of art which I am sure will prove to be a big attraction to the area.”
