HYDERABAD: While the James Street Police Station on MG Road looks stunning after its painstaking restoration, those admiring the structure may not be aware of an important fact — the clock bell now rests ensconced in a glass case on the ground floor instead of in the belfry.
Weighing nearly 400 kg, the brass bell had remained largely untouched since its installation at the turn of the 20th century. It was cast by Mears and Stainbank, a noted bell foundry based in Whitechapel, London, known for its precision and craftsmanship. For decades, the bell formed a central part of the clock tower, sounding the hours through a mechanical, self-chiming system powered by suspended chains and a weighted motor.
Over time, neglect and exposure left the bell displaced within its wooden housing, rendering it unstable. Restoration teams, citing safety concerns and the absence of trained clocksmiths capable of repairing the original mechanism, opted to remove the bell altogether. A 50-foot crane was brought in to carefully lower it from the belfry in the second chamber of the tower.
The conservation effort was led by Mir Khan of Deccan Terrain Heritage. “The bell was posing a risk to the clock tower itself due to its weight. It hadn’t been cleaned since it was first installed,” said Khan.
His team of conservators used traditional, non-invasive cleaning materials such as lemon, baking soda, vinegar, sea salt, and soapy water. This was followed by a gentle polish with brass wax and soft buffing pads. The result is a subtle sheen that respects its age without overwriting its history.
Now displayed on the ground floor of the restored structure, the bell serves as both a preserved relic and a visual anchor for visitors. The clock tower itself has been fitted with an electronic timepiece and speaker system, replacing the original chime mechanism that is no longer functional.
The James Street Police Station, which once served as a hub in the former British Cantonment area, has undergone an extensive heritage facelift. While the building itself was constructed in the 1870s, the clock tower was added in 1900.
Key repairs to the building included replacing rotted wooden rafters and reversing previous cement-based interventions, which had caused seepage and damage to the original madras terrace and jack arch roofing. These works were carried out while retaining the building’s original colonial character.