A rare Arts and Crafts clock of international significance will return to Bedford after a gap of over 100 years, going on permanent display at The Higgins Bedford and highlighting the town’s contribution to the Arts and Crafts movement.
The Pyghtle Clock is named after the acclaimed Bedford joinery firm that manufactured it in 1901 and has been acquired for the Cecil Higgins Collection with the help of funding from Art Fund and ACE/V&A Purchase Grant Fund.
It was designed by Mackay Hugh Baillie Scott (1865–1945), one of the most influential architects of the late Arts and Crafts movement, and is an important record of his time in the town where, in 1906, he wrote and published his most important book, Houses and Gardens.
From 1898, much of Baillie Scott’s furniture was produced in Queens Park, Bedford at The Pyghtle Works, which was owned by his friend, the renowned Bedford cabinet maker John Parish White (1855–1917). This partnership of designer and craftsman proved highly successful and their works remain sought after today.
The mantle clock will go on permanent display, and will be placed alongside the work of Baillie Scott’s contemporaries in the Charles Wells Gallery of Design at The Higgins Bedford. Its arrival will be celebrated with a programme of events and talks.
Cllr Sarah-Jayne Holland, Portfolio Holder for Leisure and Culture said: ‘The Pyghtle Clock is an example of Bedford’s rich history of craftsmanship and I am delighted that it is coming back after over 100 years. The Higgins Bedford is proud to host this important piece, as part of our work to tell the stories of Bedford’s local residents coupled with art works of international importance.’
