Guildhall Time Ball, Hull: Repairs to iconic time ball used to help sailors 'scheduled for this week'

The golden sphere on top of Hull’s Guildhall is meant to rise for three minutes each day between 12.57pm and 1pm, allowing sailors to set their chronometers.

The ball, which is over a metre in diameter and weighs 50 kilograms, underwent a £400,000 refurbishment in 2023 which saw the ball rise for the first time in over one hundred years.

The funding for the refurbishment came from The National Lottery Heritage Fund and Hull City Council.

Hull City Council have confirmed that after being made aware that the Time Ball wasn’t working properly, specialist contractors will be attending the site this week to attempt to address the issues with the mechanism.

Gillian Osgerby, interim assistant director for major projects and infrastructure at Hull City Council, said: “The Guildhall Time Ball is a key part of Hull’s history and heritage.

"It is a rare feature, with just a small handful in operation across the UK and so needs a specialist team of engineers when repair works are required. These works are scheduled for this week.

“We understand that this is disappointing for those wanting to see the Time Ball in action but where works are needed we need to stop the mechanism to avoid further damage.”