A HISTORIC tower clock is finally telling the right time after nearly 140 years following its painstaking restoration by a team of enthusiastic volunteers dubbed "Dad's Army".

The team, led by their very own Captain Mainwaring, Charles Hadwell, are literally 'clock-a-hoop' after restoring the clock at Great Witley which is now on display in working order in the church crypt.

The clock, which had gathered a century and a half of what Mr Hadwell called 'ecclesiastical rust and dust', is now keeping time for the first time since it was removed from the church's clock tower in 1877 and replaced by the Joyce clock.

The clock was built in 1804 by a homegrown son of the neighbouring village of Abberley, Samuel Thorp, after he was commissioned by the 2nd Lord Foley to build a two dial clock to go in the Nash cupola in the Witley Court stable yard.

It was then removed and placed into the church before it was replaced by the three dial Joyce clock.

The clock is now the first of five clocks in the area still working in their original form and location, all designed and made by Samuel Thorp which the restorers see as testimony to the quality of the workmanship.

But now the clock is once again ticking and chiming thanks to the dedication of the team, aged between 70 and 84, who have been working on restoring it since October 2013.

A plaque on the clock records the names of those responsible for its restoration who met on Wednesday mornings in the crypt.

Mr Hadwell, aged 84, a mechanical engineer before he retired and self-confessed mastermind of the clock's restoration, said: "I feel pleased it's working. As a boy I was interested in clockwork toys and that sort of thing. I earned pocket money repairing clocks from the age of 15.

"Fifteen years ago I said that one of my dearest wishes was that I would have the opportunity to restore this clock before I shuffled off.

"We have achieved that between us. I think Samuel Thorp would have been thrilled to bits to think something he made over 200 years ago is performing the function it was designed to do at Witley Court where it was made. It was good luck that it had not been thrown away."

Mr Hadwell even once lived in the same house as the clockmaker Samuel Thorp for 20 years, giving him a sense of connection to he clockmaker. Mr Hadwell said Thorp made clocks every bit as good as the best to come out of London.

They have even salvaged and restored three of the original servant's hall bells, incorporating them into the restored clock.

Angela Snow, who is the publicity officer for the church, said: "It is fantastic the way they have turned a rusting heap of metal back into a working clock."

The other member of the team are Cecil Fidoe, Bernie Peachey, John Marshall, Rich Quarterman, Ian Holland and Jordan Powell.