Sint-Amands church clock faces removed for renovation

The historic church in Sint-Amands is undergoing significant renovation work, with its four prominent clock faces recently removed for restoration. The task of detaching these heavy, 2.5-meter diameter faces, each weighing around 70 kilograms, required a specialized firm and took three hours to complete.

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A while ago, the hands on the church clock suddenly stopped. Then it became clear that a restoration was needed.

Guido Brusselmans of the church board noted that the renovation was prompted by the clock's hands stopping some time ago, revealing the need for restoration. He explained that after the clock faces are refurbished, the condition of the mortar behind them will be assessed and repaired before the clockworks can be reinstalled.

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The clock faces have now been removed, and that was no easy task in this heat. They weigh almost 70 kilograms and have a diameter of 2.5 meters. Now we first have to look at the mortar behind the clock face. If that is repaired, the clockworks can be reattached. That will naturally take some time.

Scaffolding has been erected around the church tower, providing an opportunity to address other maintenance issues. Brusselmans mentioned that the tower hasn't had scaffolding in at least 40 years. This allows for the removal of encroaching plants that could damage the stonework if left to grow unchecked. The renovation aims to preserve the church's structure and functionality.

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As far as I know, it has certainly been 40 years since scaffolding was last around the tower here.