HOW THE GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY HELPED CHANGE THE CLOCKS IN ENGLAND - ⏰ 🚂
Report by Duncan Williams for Pulman's Weekly News
Before the 19th century, timekeeping in England was far from standardised. Each town and city operated on its own 'Local Time', based on the sun’s position and calculated using sundials.
This lack of uniformity worked well enough in a pre-industrial world, where life moved at the pace of local communities. However, the arrival of the railway age - with its need for precise and synchronised schedules - exposed the flaws of this system, particularly in the West of England.
In the early 19th century, 'Local Time' varied significantly across Britain. For instance, 'Oxford Time' lagged five minutes behind 'Greenwich Time', 'Bristol Time' was ten minutes behind, and 'Exeter Time' trailed by a further four minutes.
For centuries, this lack of standardisation caused little concern. Public clocks were set to their locality, and life was governed by the rhythm of the sun.
However, the rise of the railway, particularly the Great Western Railway, demanded a more uniform approach to timekeeping. Trains needed to adhere to strict timetables to ensure safety and efficiency. But how could a network spanning multiple towns with varying local times achieve this?
In November 1840, the Great Western Railway tackled this problem by adopting 'London Time' - also known as 'Greenwich Mean Time' (GMT) - as its standard. This innovation, known as 'Railway Time', revolutionised scheduling across the network, ensuring passengers and goods could travel seamlessly.
At first, train guards carried the time from London’s Paddington Station to the rest of the system, but by 1855, telegraph technology allowed 'London Time' to be communicated instantly across the country.
However, this change was not universally welcomed. While 98% of towns and cities in Britain had embraced 'Railway Time' by 1855, resistance lingered, particularly in Exeter.
Exeter, the capital of Devon, became a battleground for the clash between tradition and modernity. The Dean of Exeter Cathedral staunchly resisted the imposition of 'London Time' on the city’s iconic clock. The cathedral clock continued to display 'Exeter Time', steadfastly 14 minutes behind GMT. As a compromise, an additional hand was added to the clock face to indicate 'London Time', allowing the public to observe both systems.
This defiance was not merely about timekeeping but also symbolised the tension between local autonomy and the growing influence of industrial networks like the railways. For many, adhering to 'Local Time' was a matter of pride and heritage. Exeter Cathedral’s decision to preserve local time, even in the face of growing national uniformity, reflected a reluctance to abandon centuries-old customs.
The resistance in Exeter and other towns demonstrated the challenges of achieving uniformity in an era of rapid technological change.
The first ever edition of Pulman's Weekly News was published in 1857, and still there were regional disagreements about acknowledging 'Local Time' and 'London Time' when reporting news for our readers.
It wasn’t until 1880, with the passing of the Statutes (Definition of Time) Act, that 'London Time' was legally enforced across the United Kingdom. This act marked the final victory of standardised time over localised traditions, ensuring that the whole country operated within a single time zone.
The standardisation of time was not just a practical necessity for the railway but also a significant cultural shift. It marked the beginning of a more interconnected Britain, where regions like the West of England were no longer governed solely by the rhythms of their localities but by the broader demands of a nation.
The Great Western Railway’s adoption of 'Railway Time' paved the way for modern timekeeping systems, which we often take for granted today.