Town considers silencing clock’s bells for tourists
ACOUNTRY town’s bells, which have rung for 120 years, face being silenced – after being rapped on TripAdvisor.
Residents of Newtown, Powys, are in a ding-dong row over the tradition of the bells tolling every 15 minutes after complaints from “a few random visitors”.
Newtown’s mayor David Selby revealed owners of B&Bs and hotels had received “negative reviews” on TripAdvisor from guests who had not slept well because of the bells.
But locals are campaigning for the bells to keep ringing.
Councillor Selby is now holding a consultation on stopping the bells during the night.
The town clock was given to the people of Newtown – population 11,000 – to celebrate Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee in 1897.
“It strikes beautifully but loudly every quarter of an hour,” Mr Selby said.
One guest who stayed in a B&B in Newtown rated the experience as “terrible” on TripAdvisor.
The visitor wrote: “Avoid if you are a light sleeper! Stayed here for business – booked two nights but only stayed one – had to check out early unfortunately due to the unbearable noise from the town clock that rings every 15 minutes 24 hours a day.”
The owner of the Parkers House B&B replied: “The town clock is
something that is completely beyond my control and, while I have taken steps to ensure all rooms are sound-proofed, there is little more I can do to stop the clock chiming.
“However, I have a meeting with the Chamber of Trade this evening to see if there is anything that can be done in regards to the clock.”
But many feel the chimes are part of the Powys town’s history – and branded it “outrageous” that they should be silenced.
One asked: “Why are we bothering about keyboard warriors on social media when thousands of people enjoy the tradition of the bells ringing so regularly?”
Cllr Selby said: “So we have got the dilemma of helping tourism and those saying ‘the clock’s been striking for 100 years, why should we stop it now?’ So what should we do with these lovely bells of ours?”
He said he was asking whether the bells should be silenced between midnight and 7am every day – so New Year’s Eve celebrations are not affected.
He said: “We, as an ambitious town, want to grow our tourism industry, I want to find out whether it’s important to people – does it really matter?
“We’ve all got other ways of telling the time these days. It’s not quite as important as it was.”
“I have been contacted by local businesses who have B&B and hotel premises in the town, saying that the loud sound of the bells at night keeps their visitors awake, and there is a danger that business and tourism is being affected.
“Tourism is of increasing importance to our town and we should do everything we can to assist. I am asking local businesses to contribute towards the cost of the new mechanism to allow the clock striking times to be controlled.
“From reviews left by visitors, it is clear that the sound of the clock striking every quarter-hour does disturb sleep.
“My proposal is that the clock bells be silenced between midnight and 7am every night.”