Exeter Cathedral Clock
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The clock.The clock is one of the group of famous 14th to 16th century astronomical clocks to be found in the West of England. (See also Salisbury, Wells Cathedral, Ottery St Mary, and Wimborne Minster.) The main, lower, dial is the oldest part of the clock, probably dating from the 1480s. The fleur-de-lys 'hand' indicates the time (and the position of the sun in the sky) on a 24 hour analog dial. The numbering consists of two sets of I-XII Roman numerals. The silver ball and inner dial shows both the age of the moon and its phase (using a rotating black shield to indicate the moon's phase). The upper dial, added in the 1760s, shows the minutes.
The Latin phrase Pereunt et Imputantur, a favourite motto for clocks and sundials first penned by the Latin poet Martial in the poem "Character of a happy life", is usually translated as "they perish and are reckoned to our account", referring to the hours that we spend, wisely or not.
The original clockwork mechanism, much modified, repaired, and neglected until it was replaced in the early 20th century, can be seen on the floor below, usually underneath a pile of chairs supplied by furniture hire company.
Many have a perception that God and his church are dull, out of date and irrelevant to modern life - it is easy to be misled by the packaging! We are a lively, growing, church made up of ordinary people who have discovered that God offers real, practical answers to the very real situations that each of us face in everyday life in Exeter.
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The cathedral was begun in 1112, this construction only come from the two towers, which formed the transepts.This very unusual design means that the stone vaults of ship could be continued without interruption until chorus, when the church was built in 1270-1369 new.
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