08/03/2026
Bristol runs on Solar Time! ;-)
This historic clock in Bristol actually tells two different times. 🕰️👀
The Corn Exchange clock has two minute hands on its face—one red and one black—because Bristol used to run on its own local time before railways standardised everything in the 1800s. Bristol was exactly 10 minutes behind London, which is why the black minute hand lags behind the red Greenwich Mean Time hand.
🕰️ The time of day roughly depends on your position in relation to the sun. Natural noon is when the sun is at its highest point. But because Bristol is two degrees west of Greenwich, it means noon in Bristol should be 10 past 12 in London.
📍 You can find the clock right above the entrance to the Corn Exchange building, which now houses St Nicholas Market.
Have you ever noticed the extra hand on this clock? 👇