The Corpus Clock
The Corpus Clock is a large gold-faced public clock on the corner of Bene't Street and Trumpington Street, outside Corpus Christi College's Taylor Library. A mechanical insect, the Chronophage or 'time eater', crawls over the top. Stephen Hawking unveiled it in 2008, and it is free to see from the street.
Photos
Vanessa Machado
Who made it
The clock was conceived and funded by inventor John Taylor, an alumnus and honorary fellow of Corpus Christi. Matthew Sanderson sculpted the Chronophage and Stewart Huxley was design engineer. It sits in the former entrance of an 1866 bank, facing towards King's Parade. Because it sits at street level rather than inside a college court, anyone can stand and watch it.
How to read it
There are no hands or numbers. The 1.5-metre gold-plated disc has three rings of slits, lit from behind to show hours, minutes and seconds. The mechanism is a grasshopper escapement, a tribute to John Harrison, and the Chronophage is that escapement. It is accurate only once every five minutes; in between, the pendulum stalls and races, a deliberate comment on how irregular time feels. Below is a Latin line from the First Epistle of John: the world passes away, and its desires.
Seeing it
Stop for a few minutes and watch the creature's jaws and blinking eye. The clock is a minute's walk from King's College Chapel, and the Eagle pub, famous for its science history, is almost next door. It is designed to keep running accurately for at least 200 years.
Highlights
- Unveiled by Stephen Hawking in 2008
- No hands: lit slits show the time
- Grasshopper escapement honouring John Harrison
- Accurate only every five minutes
- Free to view from the street
Good to know
- Viewed from the pavement on Bene't Street; there is nothing to book.
- The pavement is narrow and busy, so step back towards King's Parade for photos.
Frequently asked questions
Sources: en.wikipedia.org