Hull City Council have provided an update on the Guildhall Time Ball with further work planned.
The Time Ball, which sit on top of the council’s headquarters, is supposed to rise between 12:57 and 13:00 each day and is a treasured piece of the city’s rich maritime history. Traditionally, the rising of the ball would allow sailors to set their chronometers accurately.
The Time Ball underwent a full £400,000 refurbishment in 2023 that was joint funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Hull City Council. The refurbishment led to the 50 kilogram golden ball, which is over a metre in diameter, rising for the first time in over a century. However, issues soon returned which stopped the Time Ball from working.
In mid April, the council confirmed that they were aware the Time Ball’s mechanism wasn’t working and that specialist contractors would be visiting the site that week to try and address the issues. Now in mid May, the council has confirmed that further inspections will need to take place.
Gillian Osgerby, interim assistant director for major projects and infrastructure at Hull City Council, said: “Specialist engineers are due to visit the Time Ball next week to carry out further inspections and plan the necessary works, whilst bespoke parts are being sourced.
“We will provide another update when the Time Ball is expected to be working again.”
By: Andrew Spence, LDRS
