19/05/2026
The house and collections team are always busy behind the scenes caring for and preserving Speke Hall for generations to come.
During the winter conservation, something mysterious and rather unexpected was discovered - proof that there are still stories waiting to be uncovered in the Hall!
Sara Wolvin, Collections & House Officer explains:
"In June 2023, while treating the Oak Parlour for a moth infestation, we sent the carpet offsite to be frozen. Once it was lifted, a surprise was waiting for us beneath it: tucked between the floorboards was a small piece of metal that no one recognised at first.
After some investigation during the winter closure, we discovered it was the long-missing minute hand from the Japanned long-case clock that lives upstairs in the west corridor. How it ended up in a completely different part of the house - and how long it had been gone - remains a mystery.
Clocks conservator Matthew Read took the fragment back to his studio to repair and restore. Now, in Spring 2026, almost three years after its rediscovery, the minute hand has finally been reunited with its clock, restoring the case to its full original appearance once again."
The images show the house team confirming the fragment is a match before the clock was reunited with its long-lost minute hand! See if you can spot it on your next visit to Speke Hall! 🕰️
