AFTER six years of winding the clock on his village’s church tower an Oaksey resident can finally call time thanks to a grant from Wiltshire Council’s Malmesbury Area Board.

Nick Hitchman, 62, has climbed an old, rickety ladder to wind the clock and the chime mechanism by hand at least every 72 hours for six years and has been involved in keeping the clock accurate for the last 11 years.

The Area Board were asked to contribute the final £500 to the cost of a winding mechanism which would automate the winding of both mechanisms and only require occasional correction rather than needing adjusting every day.

The clock itself was bought in 1882 for £76 in memory of the village’s rector and has faces on the north and west side of the tower. The original clock is still in place and will remain even after the automatic winder is installed.

Mr Hitchman, who used to work in IT security but is now retired, said that he was delighted with the funding from the area board as he is beginning to feel the legacy of several old rugby injuries as he climbs up and down the tower each day.

He said: “I just floated the idea at the parish council and with one of my neighbours which turned into a proposal and now I’m managing the project.”

“It couldn’t be any more different to working in IT. I think part of what made it interesting was the contrast.”

Mr Hitchman said that he liked to make sure that the clock was always accurate to help give a good impression of the village and because nearby Oaskey C of E School uses it to mark the start and end of their break time.

He said: “I wouldn’t say that they rely on it but they certainly take note of it.”

He added: “Every now and then it chimes at the wrong time and I’ve been known to get up a two or three in the morning to get up there and reset it.”