By special arrangement, visits by large groups of not less than 15 and not more than 25 can be received and given a guided tour by the Consultant Keeper or other experienced individual. These notes are produced as guidance for potential group visit organisers.
The Clockmakers’ Museum is extremely unusual in museum terms, in that its contents are owned by one body, maintained by another and housed by a third.
The historically priceless contents are the property of the Worshipful Company of Clockmakers. The collection is the oldest in the world of its kind, having been founded in the City in 1813 and first displayed to the public in 1873. It is maintained and exhibited by a very modestly funded registered charity, (the Clockmakers’ Museum and Educational Trust / Charity No. 312876), who employ a part-time consultant Keeper (Sir George White Bt, who is a Past Master of the Clockmakers’ Company) as their sole member of curatorial staff. The room within Guildhall Library in which the collection is displayed however, is owned, staffed and controlled by the City of London.
All three bodies are delighted to welcome groups for guided tours to the museum. These generally take between one and a half and two hours. Daytime visits (between 11.30am and 4.30pm) can be arranged directly with the Consultant Keeper (keeper@clockmakers.org). Visits which will run over 4.30pm or begin after 4.30pm must be arranged first with the Keeper and then with Andrew Harper of Guildhall Library (Andrew.Harper@cityoflondon.gov.uk) as this involves keeping the Library open after its usual closing time. A small charge will be made by Guildhall Library to cover staff overtime. Guildhall Library may refuse a visit if another event is taking place at Guildhall, they may also request lists of visitors’ names, for security purposes.
The Museum is open to the public free for unguided visits, from 9.30am until 4.30pm, Mondays to Saturdays (except public holidays). Free guided tours for the general public are given several times a year, details of which can be obtained from Guildhall Library. The Trustees however have requested that private guided tours are charged at £10 per head to help maintain and augment the Museum (cheques may be made out to “The Clockmakers’ Museum & Educational Trust”). As the present Consultant Keeper lives a considerable distance from London, it is best to request a tour on a day in which he is already at Guildhall (usually a Monday or a Tuesday) as this avoids extra charges for his travel. He will do his best to rearrange his week to suit other days, but cannot guarantee to do so.
The Clockmakers' Museum
The Clockmakers’ Museum is so packed with glittering exhibits, that space between the showcases is restricted. Fire Regulations, as a consequence, now limit the number of visitors permitted on any individual tour to 25. Please note that because of the restricted space also, the Museum cannot provide chairs during tours. Those who find standing for such a long period difficult, have been known to bring small three-legged ‘shooting sticks’ to rest on (no spiked sticks, please). Numerous chairs are available just outside the Museum (in the Library itself), but this is unfortunately out of earshot of the Museum. The Museum and Library are both ‘wheelchair friendly’.
Some groups like to give their members a glass of wine before or during evening visits. There are no catering facilities in Guildhall Library, but if prior warning is given, a table can be provided for organisers to bring their own wine, bottle openers and glasses (white wine only, please). The Museum has no means of disposing of rubbish, storing bottles or washing glasses in the evening, so everything brought to the museum, must be taken away again at the end of the tour.
Apply by e-mail to The Consultant Keeper, or the Clerk of the Company.
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