Close-up view of Lewisham Clock Tower, Lewisham High-street
Lewisham Clock Tower is nevertheless a historical landmark of Lewisham and as such has played a key role in the development of Lewisham over the years. It is easy to pass by this local landmark without giving it much of a thought, or considering it as much more than one of the many bus stops in the centre of Lewisham, or a meeting point with friends before setting off for the day. It may seem somewhat out of place on the edge of bustling Lewisham market, flanked by a high street bank, a pop-up German Sausage food outlet, and the art deco tower house of the former Royal Arsenal Co-operative Society department store (in itself an interesting building with a façade dotted with trains and lorries). However, the tower has proudly stood its ground for over a century since being completed in 1900 to commemorate Queen Victoria's diamond jubilee of 1897 f you have ever looked up you will have seen a dainty tower featuring four clock faces topped with a spire and most notably a crown – a nod to the tower’s royal connection - this is the key feature of this Grade II listed building. The tower is made of Portland stone, historically used across London on buildings such as St Paul's Cathedral and Buckingham Palace, and is designed as a three-stage tower and spire, featuring the aforementioned royal crown. The plaque on the north face of the tower features an inscription VR & I which stands for Victoria Royal and Imperatix (Empress). On the back of the tower there is a small intriguing door which would have been used to access the mechanics to wind the clock. ou can find out more about the history of the tower from the plaque that states that ‘the cost was met by public subscription supplemented by a grant of £500 from a fund bequeathed to the parish by Michael Thomas Whitehall of Catford’ – which can only be presumed as a standard bequeathment from a local, which was common at the time, as there is no information on this gentleman available online.
Size: 3501px × 5295px
Location: Lewisham High Street, London, UK
Photo credit: © John Gaffen / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: -stage, architecture, building, clock, close-, crown, diamond, grade, high-street, historical, history, ii, imperatix, jubilee, landmark, lewisham, listed, local, meeting, michael, point, portland, public, queen, royal, spire, stone, subscription, thomas, tower, victoria, victorias, whitehall
