Hull’s Guildhall Time Ball is the only such timepiece on a municipal building and the highest in the UK and one of a handful still operational today.
The Guildhall Time Ball has reclaimed its position on Hull's skyline and rises at 12.57pm and drops at 1pm each day (except in the event of extreme weather).
Navigating Hull's maritime past
The Guildhall, designed by Sir Edwin Cooper, was built between 1906 - 1916. It replaced the previous Town Hall. It features Edwardian architecture and a 60 metre-high clock tower. It is a Grade II* listed building.
It reflects the importance of maritime timekeeping, and the role of calculating longitude for accurate navigation. The addition of a Time Ball in 1918 reflected Hull’s prominence as a major UK port, with strong links to the fishing industry and worldwide trade. It was originally operated by the General Post Office who manually raised the Time Ball each day at 12.57pm, for the fee of £5 per year.
A signal sent from the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, then released the ball at precisely 1pm GMT. The Time Ball is over one metre in diameter and is covered in 23.5 carat gold leaf. Beneath it, four Putti, which are Cherub like creatures that do not have wings, hold up the Time Ball on a cup.
The weathervane, at the top of the mast, is modelled on the Bounty, famously built near to Blaydes Shipyard, High Street.
Inside the Guildhall Tower
The Guildhall Tower is made of six floors, most of which are accessed via a winding iron staircase.
Within the tower is the Clock Room, home of a magnificent Barnard Cook clock.
This controls the clock faces on the four sides of the Guildhall Tower. The clock chimes each quarter hour and is accompanied by a full peel (longer tune played by bells) on every hour. This is proved by the Guildhall carillon.
The carillon is the name for the collection of bells and is the heaviest instrument in the world. Hull is the only city in the UK which has two carillons: the other being in Hull Minster.
Above the bell chamber is the Lantern Gallery, named because it looks like a lantern with its four lattice glass windows. From here, you can see across the city centre, and even to the docks.
Learn more about the Time Ball.
