Time Stands Still at St Andrew’s After More Than a Century

For 118 years, it has told the time to the people of Roundhay. Now, St Andrew’s Clocktower and its bell have fallen silent.

The clock has ground to a halt after more than a century watching over the community, and urgent repairs costing £15,800 are needed to bring it back to life. Members of St Andrew’s Roundhay United Reformed Church say they cannot afford the work alone and are appealing for public support to get the clock ticking again.

They have launched the Clocktower Community Cafe Fundraiser, an event organisers describe as extra special. Friends, neighbours, ecumenical partners and church members were invited to gather at the church on Shaftesbury Avenue on 11 February 2026 for coffee, tea and cake, all in aid of saving the historic timepiece.

There will be live piano music courtesy of David Owens, and even the RoCo Dramatic Society props team may take a break from their building project to enjoy a cuppa and a bacon roll.

The campaign is being led by St Andrew’s Roundhay United Reformed Church under the banner Save The Clock Tower. For those unable to attend the launch, donations can be made via the church’s JustGiving appeal page. The Clocktower Cafe also runs every Wednesday morning between 10am and 1pm, offering further opportunities to support the fundraiser.

The appeal is about more than machinery. It is about restoring a landmark that has stood at the heart of Roundhay for generations.

Originally built as a modest structure known as Roundhay Congregational Church, St Andrew’s was thriving by 1905, with growing numbers of members and children. Plans were drawn up by architect Mr Beevers for a much larger building with a taller tower. The foundation stone was laid in October 1907, and the completed tower became the tallest of the three local church towers. The Ordnance Survey recently chose it as the local trig point.

The clock itself was donated by a close neighbour. The commission went to Pearce and Sons, gold and silversmiths and watchmakers with a shop in Albion Street, Leeds. A suitable bell sounding the note A was selected, and a plate on the clock bears the simple inscription, The gift of FW Spruce 1908.

For more than a century, the clock and tower have looked out over Roundhay. Now, the community is being asked to help ensure they continue to do so for generations to come.