Timothy Staines
Inner Planet Orrery
Timothy Staines is one of only a handful of professional orrery makers worldwide, and the sole full-time practitioner of this endangered craft in the United Kingdom. Based in Norfolk, Timothy continues the legacy of Staines and Son Orrery Makers, a family business established by his father, Derek Staines, a retired engineer whose fascination with orreries began after seeing one at auction. Together, they constructed their first models in a workshop set up in the family garage, combining engineering precision with creative artistry.
Raised in a creative household—his mother a ceramics tutor and his father a toolmaker—Timothy was immersed in both art and engineering from an early age. He trained as a machinist, acquiring the skills essential for the meticulous construction of orreries. Timothy’s professional journey began in earnest in 2012, when he joined his father in the workshop, learning through hands-on experience rather than formal courses, as orrery making remains largely self-taught. His greatest inspiration is his father, whose passion for mechanical artistry and commitment to quality, set a high standard. Timothy also admires historic scientific instrument makers such as W. and S. Jones, whose 18th and 19th century orreries remain benchmarks for the craft. For Timothy, the challenge lies in designing complex gear trains that allow the planets to move in harmony, making each orrery both a scientific instrument and a work of art.
Staines and Son’s work has been recognised by the Heritage Crafts Association, which lists orrery making as a critically endangered craft, and by Homo Faber, which features Timothy as one of only five orrery makers globally.
The orrery on display is an “Inner Planet Orrery”, representing Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars orbiting the Sun within the asteroid belt. This model also incorporates the axial rotations of Mercury and Venus, the precession of the lunar nodes (providing insight into the occurrence and periodicity of eclipses) and the orbits of Mars’ moons, Phobos and Deimos.
Norfolk