Worshippers at a small village church in Littledean, Gloucestershire, often find themselves running late for Sunday service, thanks to the church's distinctive clock that skips the 11 o'clock hour every day due to a design flaw.
The clock on the front of St Ethelbert's Church has become a legendary landmark in the village.
The Vicar, Mark Barnsley, takes pride in this unusual feature, calling it a "cherished part of the church's quirky history".
"St Ethelbert's has a clock that never strikes 11 due to a design flaw," Rev Barnsley explained to The Mail Online, adding that this peculiarity has become "a piece of local folklore".
During refurbishment ten years ago, the church had the opportunity to correct this anomaly but chose to preserve it instead.
Rev Barnsley shared that they sought and received special permission from the Church of England's Diocesan Advisory Council to keep this beloved quirk intact.
The clock's Roman numeral face skips XI (11) entirely, moving from IX (9) directly to X (10), and then back to IX (9).
Rev Barnsley humorously noted: "It's been a long, long time since we've had an 11 o'clock."