'Our church clock suddenly stopped and we miss the chimes - now we're raising money to get it fixed'

The clock at St Mary's Church in Market Drayton has been faithfully keeping time and chiming its bells for centuries. However, the clock has recently come to a halt, perpetually stuck at the noon position.

It has several faces on the sides of the 14th century tower off Church Street but they all now permanently show the time as 12.01.

The stopped clock has also meant there are now no hourly chimes from the church timepiece, which has created "an unexpected silence that has been deeply felt by the community”, the church has said.

Warden Peter Fox said: “It takes a lot to keep these ancient but vital buildings open to the community, and this is just one example of the work needed.

“We know how much St Mary's means to Market Drayton and enjoy welcoming everyone in. However, it's felt like something has been missing without hearing the chimes.

“We're very grateful to the congregations from our Sunday worship and Messy Church for supporting the repair of the clock, and we are hopeful that the townsfolk will help too."

He said Draytonians, whether visiting the church or sharing their sentiments on social media, have expressed how much they miss the familiar chimes and the sight of the clock's hands moving on the tower, which has led the church to launch an appeal to have the clock repaired.

A fundraising drive has now been set up to get the St Mary's clock ticking and chiming again.

Anybody that wishes to donate can do so by dropping in at the church, or by visiting givealittle.co/c/4LCcgzIeOjgqN78gn05FSA.