York Minster Astronomical
Clock
The
York Minster Astronomical Clock was installed in 1955, it was
designed by Robert d’Escourt Atkinson.
He was born on April 11th
1898 near Rhyader in North Wales . The family moved to Manchester and
when he was 12 he won a foundation scholarship to Manchester Grammar
School.
During
World war 1 he served with the Royal field Artillery in Italy.
Between the wars he became interested in nuclear physics but rather than working in that field in 1937
he took up the position of chief assistant at Greenwich, he worked here until 1964. In 1940 he
was seconded to the Royal Navy where he worked in the eastern
Mediterranean.
On
returning to Greenwich in 1946 he began studying how to accurately
measure the position of stars. In this he worked on the Cooke
Transit Circle that had been installed in 1933.
In
1955 die to his mechanical prowess he was asked to design the
magnificent astronomical clock in York Minster. The clock is a
memorial to RAF aircrew operating from Yorkshire, Durham and
Northumberland during World War 2.
Atkinson
based the design of a pilot’s view of the Sun and certain
navigational stars over York that would be seen when flying south.
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