The Friends are a non-denominational Charity (Registered Charity No 275064) set up to maintain the fine 800 year old Church in our village. Membership is open to all and we have raised about £113,500, through local fund raising events including the Street Market, since we were set up in 1977. 

Recent repairs and improvements to the Church have included internal redecoration, renewal of the oil-fired boiler, erection of the flagstaff, new sound system and hearing loop, renewal of the north nave roof and a substantial contribution towards the refurbishment of the organ.
But there is always more we could do…… 

Everyone in the Village is encouraged to join and donations can be subject to Gift Aid

Church clock restoration

The photographs show the restoration of the Church clock at each stage when the work was undertaken at the end of 2010.

One of the photos shows The Friends of Barkway Church Chairman Caroline Macpherson helping Peter Bassett and Nicholas Tufton to lift the restored clock face back into position on the Church tower. Even on a still day, this was a tricky operation but thankfully the clock is now working again and looks particularly good with its fine blue paintwork and gold lettering.

The clock probably dates from around 1861 when Mrs Vernon Harcourt of Newsells rebuilt the tower. The movement itself is located on the floor below clock and the two are connected by cam rod which rotates the cogs that drive the hands. Regarding the restoration process, when the old paint was stripped back to the copper surface of the face in Bob Algar’s workshop in Cambridge, he found three different fonts showing the hours and he has re-gilded it using the original font. The Friends also took the opportunity to clean the gearing mechanism which can only be done when there is scaffolding to the clock face.

We are grateful to all those who helped with this project and also to the clock winders who attend it each week.