This extraordinary 18th-century automaton, created in London in 1773, was originally thought to have been destined for the Eastern markets. However, the Silver Swan remained in the Europe, traveling as far as Paris where it was bought by John and Josephine Bowes in 1872 and found its permanent home in Barnard Castle, where it has captivated audiences for centuries.
During the pandemic, it became clear that the Silver Swan was in urgent need of restoration to ensure it could continue performing for future generations.
In 2023, The Cumbria Clock Company began an intensive six-month Silver Swan restoration project to carefully assess, clean, and repair more than 2,000 individual components.
Disassembling the automaton was a highly delicate process. A dedicated team of horological conservators spent a full week dismantling the Swan, meticulously cataloguing each component to ensure the mechanism could be reassembled with complete accuracy.
Throughout the project, The Cumbria Clock Company worked alongside interns from some of the UK’s leading horological education programmes, including West Dean College and Birmingham City University. We were also joined by students from the University of Lincoln’s Conservation course, who gained valuable hands-on experience in horology and automaton restoration.
The Silver Swan’s intricate engineering revealed some truly fascinating mechanisms, especially remarkable given their 250-year-old origins. Its movement is powered by three spring-driven motors, similar to traditional fusee clock mechanisms, each controlling a different part of the Swan’s performance.
The main drive powers the Swan’s neck and beak using an ingenious cam system, coordinating smooth, lifelike movements. This mechanism also triggers a hidden fish in the beak while perfectly synchronising the motion of the other fish “swimming” along delicate glass rods beneath the Swan.
The water motor drives 160 fragile glass rods, creating the mesmerising illusion of flowing water. Setting up this mechanism required extreme care due to its sensitivity and precision.
The music motor operates the Swan’s built-in music box, which plays eight distinct melodies historically associated with the automaton. It is believed that the Swan can perform eight complete sequences when fully wound.
One particularly impressive feature is the fish mechanism hidden within the Swan’s beak. This delicate assembly releases a small fish at the perfect moment, giving the impression that the Swan is catching prey from the water. While real swans don’t actually eat fish, the effect adds to the automaton’s charm and theatricality.
This intricate mechanism required watchmaking-level precision rather than traditional clockmaking techniques. For this part of the project, we were fortunate to work with master watchmaker Seth Kennedy, who's exceptional craftsmanship can be seen in the video below.
After all components were cleaned, repaired, and adjusted, the Silver Swan was carefully reassembled and tested to ensure its performance was flawless. Today, visitors to the Bowes Museum can enjoy watching the Silver Swan perform daily, with additional demonstrations held twice daily during the summer holidays.
At The Cumbria Clock Company, we are proud to have played a key role in the restoration of this iconic automaton. The Silver Swan not only continues to delight and inspire visitors but also stands as a celebration of traditional heritage craft skills in the north of England — something we are passionate about preserving for future generations.
