IT’S Barry’s pivotal landmark which most people bypass and only notice when it appears to go wrong.

The structure in question is the town hall clock, which has overlooked King Square, in the town centre for more than 100 years.

With Big Ben in London under refurbishment, and ahead of the New Year when the bell is expected to chime, the Barry & District News took a journey into the tower to view the mechanisms and witness the clock at work.

Library building assistant, Dan Prior has been responsible for the clock’s maintenance since 2010, although automation has since taken charge of some of its operation, stopping time should the mayor request.

The first lending library in Barry opened in 1890, at 144 Holton Road, before moving to a three-storey house in the Square.

“Little Boy” is the clock's smallest bell weighing in at a quarter tonne; “Mother” weighs half a tonne; and “Father” weighs one tonne.

Mr Prior added: “The chimes are called Westminster Chimes and the clock was completed in 1908. The clock rang for 50 years without stopping. There are four faces to the clock and the chimes can be heard from five miles in any direction and even out to sea. The clock gets stopped twice a year when the clocks go forward and back an hour.

“It’s computer driven. I used to wind it up by hand, but I don’t do that anymore.”

In 1900, Maes y Cwm Quarry was excavated on the site of nearby Central Park and in 1903 the council acquired the quarry site, which was later filled in enabling Central Park and the library to be built.

The public library committee report on March, 31 1902 stated a great need for a permanent building as means of removing “the many disadvantages that are experienced at the present.”

In October a special committee was elected, on the motion of councillor Paterson, to consider the advisability of approaching the Andrew Carnegie Trust for a grant to enable a public library to be built.

An £8,000 grant was awarded and an architectural competition was held in 1903.

The successful architects were named as C.E. Hutchinson and E. Harding Payne, of London.

Barry town hall's red brick and lavish Bath stone, symmetrical plan, axial clock tower crowned by a small copper covered dome, is a building in ebullient Baroque style.

It sustains the role inspired, like so many civic buildings at the turn of the century, by John Belcher’s Colchester Town Hall 1898.

The library was opened by the Earl of Plymouth on March 1, 1906.

A further expansion to the rear of the new building was planned, but never executed.

In 1908 the town hall completed at a cost of £7,488 and was officially opened on April 22.

On April 22, the Barry Boys String Band played as members of the Barry Urban District Council celebrated the opening of the new town hall - their new offices.

The hall had taken five years to plan and build.

The pair of imposing carved lions, guarding the entrance, and the carvings about the colonnades, were designed and executed by Mr T A Jones.

The clock, with its Westminster Chimes and Bell was not part of the same contract and was supplied at a cost of £329.10s.

In 1910 the Town Hall Square was named King Square.

In 1939 a Charter of Incorporation was granted and Barry Borough Council was created with its administrative centre at the town hall.

This charter authorised the council to appoint a mayor of Barry for the first time.

Local government reorganisation in1974 led to the formation of the Vale of Glamorgan Borough Council with its administrative centre at the town hall.

The council chamber at the town hall was used for the last time in 1981 and the mayor and council moved to the Civic Offices in Holton Road.

Vale deputy mayor, Cllr Leighton Rowlands said: “It was feared the town hall would be sold to commercial developers, but the council ensured it was kept it for the use of the community.

“It was refurbished in 2001 in the same year Barry library relocated to a temporary home at Barry leisure centre, then the adjoining library was refurbished in 2006.

“The mayor of the Vale of Glamorgan Council in 2006 moved into the refurbished town hall, using the former council chamber as the mayor's parlour.

“Today the hall houses the Vale mayor's parlour and an exhibition area.

“The mayor of the Vale Glamorgan in theory can stop time on the clock one of the interesting facts not known by many.

“From the roof of the Barry Town Hall you can see the clock towers of the old bible college on top of Buttrills hill which is now Redland respite centre and is the highest clock tower.

The Dock offices clock tower is the lowest all three clock towers going west to east.

“Going from Barry road to Dock Offices the Barry Town Hall clock tower sits in the middle of both.”