In 2017, Big Ben—the Great Clock of Westminster—was fully dismantled and removed from the Elizabeth Tower for the first time since 1859. This historic restoration, completed in 2022, offered a rare chance to carefully examine, repair, and prepare the world’s most famous public clock for the future.
On June 9, 2025, Keith Scobie-Youngs, co-founder of The Cumbria Clock Company, will share exclusive insights into this five-year project at a lecture hosted by the Horological Society of New York (HSNY). He will detail the painstaking process of disassembling and transporting the 5.5-ton clock movement, along with the delicate conservation methods used to preserve its original craftsmanship. The goal was to ensure the clock’s reliable operation for at least another 160 years.
Scobie-Youngs, the lead conservator, will discuss the challenges and successes encountered during the restoration of this iconic Victorian masterpiece. He trained in horology at the School of Jewellery and Silversmithing and has over four decades of experience. Since founding The Cumbria Clock Company in 1990 with his wife Lynn, he has grown the firm into a respected business with 22 staff members, including workshop conservators and horological engineers.
The company maintains more than 1,400 church and public clocks across the UK. Their notable projects include the country’s oldest clock at Salisbury Cathedral, the Astronomical Clock at Hampton Court Palace, and major works at cathedrals in Canterbury, Durham, and Manchester, among others. The firm also designed and installed the world’s largest internal bell hammer, which struck the Olympic Bell to start the London 2012 Games.
Other clients include the Royal Household, Historic Royal Palaces, English Heritage, and the National Trust. Keith was Master of the Worshipful Company of Clockmakers in 2024 and holds leadership roles in several horological organizations.
The lecture will take place at the General Society Library in Midtown Manhattan, 20 West 44th Street, New York, NY. Doors open at 5:30 PM, with the talk starting at 6 PM. Attendance is free but requires tickets. All HSNY lectures are open to the public, recorded, and made available online—immediately for members and after a two-month delay for others.
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