Entrance Hall
This hall has two levels with a gallery above the main floor. The gallery gives an
excellent view of the lower exhibits. There is also a tea room on the gallery. The lower
floor has a selection of Longcase clocks, with examples of all the commonly found types
including 30 hour, 8 day and regulators.
The upper gallery is devoted to the display of some of the paintings and prints in the
Institute's collection. Pride of place goes to the portrait in oils of Thomas Tompion,
painted by Sir Godfrey Kneller. Tompion is widely regarded as the greatest of English
Clockmakers, and this is the only surviving contemporary portrait of the great master. The
entrance to the upper corridor has a large clock that was designed as a Swimming Pool
Timer. Other displays in this area include a set of pendulum experiments and further
ranges of small tools.
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