William Eichler 30 June 2023

Hull’s historic Time Ball returns to service

The Guildhall Time Ball in Hull, a gold metal ball mounted on top of a clock tower, is back in use after a century of inactivity.

Located 196ft (60m) above ground level, the historic landmark was once used to help ships navigate the Humber Estuary by dropping at 1pm each day to signal the time.

The time ball, which was installed between 1915 -1916, was last operational in 1922.

It has now been restored thanks to a project funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and Hull City Council.

Something happened at the Guildhall today that hasn't happened for 100 years...

Here's Councillor Mike Ross, leader of Hull City Council, explaining why it was such a fantastic day for our city ?? @HullMaritime #HullTimeBall #TimeBall pic.twitter.com/wtLlcZdxgl
— Hull City Council (@Hullccnews) June 29, 2023

Cllr Mike Ross, leader of Hull City Council, said: ‘The Time Ball itself is a tremendous piece of engineering but also a really important part of Hull’s maritime history.’

He added: ‘It’s fantastic that we can now see it return to its former glory.’

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#Historic building

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