Historic Harrals clock returns to Eldon Street 

A cherished landmark in Barnsley town centre has been restored to its former glory thanks to the Eldon Street Heritage Action Zone (HAZ). The Harrals clock, which has been a meeting place for generations of people, has been repaired and repainted as its now back in its rightful place on the historic street. 

The clock was installed in the early 1900s by Benjamin Harral, a renowned jeweller and clockmaker who had his Ring Shop on Eldon Street. Harral was a member of the Clock Makers Company, one of the ancient City Guilds, and had the freedom of the City of London. He made watches for members of the Admiralty, for use in the Royal Navy. 

The clock is one of the few surviving features of the original Ring Shop building, which was redesigned in 1913 with a white tiled frontage and a second floor. The building also had a time ball clock, which was connected by wireless to the Eifel Tower in Paris and fell once a day at 11am to allow people to set their timepieces. The time ball was removed in the late 1930s, but the mechanical clock remained. 

The clock has been a source of inspiration for poets and artists, including Simon Armitage, the poet laureate, who featured it in his work in 2022, and the Radio 4 programme ‘The Ballad of Eldon Street’ in 2023. 

The clock restoration is part of a wider scheme to restore some of the buildings on the street which needed urgent repairs. The project is funded by the Eldon Street HSHAZ, a partnership between Barnsley Council, Historic England and local businesses. The Eldon Street HAZ, a four-year project which is nearing completion, have preserved historic buildings on the street and brought its fascinating history back to life.