Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Grade II listed building. Main construction periods 1800 to 1855 Timeball Tower, Deal, built as an Admiralty Signal Station in 1812. Converted to a Timeball Tower in 1855

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Monument Types

• BUILDING (Post Medieval to Modern - 1812 AD to 2050 AD)

Full description

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Description from record TR 35 SE 95:
TR TR 377526. A Timeball tower at Deal. Built in 1812 as an Admiralty signal station during the Napoleonic wars it was converted in 1855 to a Timeball tower to provide a Greenwich time signal to ships in the Downs. A square, 4 storey stuccoed brick tower with a mast on top, on which a 14 ft '4.27m' diameter copper ball was raised halfway up at 12.55 pm, to the top at 12.58 pm, and dropped at 1.00 pm by an electric signal from Greenwich where a similar timeball had been installed in 1833 for the benefit of ships in the Thames. The tower stands on the landward side of Beach Street. (1)

The following text is from the original listed building designation:
BEACH STREET 1. 1035 (West Side) Timeball Tower TR 3752 SE 4/180 II 2. Originally this building, situated at the entrance to the old Navy Yard, was one of 10 royal signal towers used to semaphore messages to the Admiralty from tile fleet at the Downs during the Napoleonic Wars. In 1855 the tower was adapted to form a Time-Ball Tower. At Greenwich in 1855 the 1st Time Ball was installed to enable ships on the Thames to check their chronometers. In 1855 a similar Time Ball of copper, mounted on a 14 ft mast was installed on top of the old semaphore station in Deal. At 12.55 pm every day the ball was raised halfway, at 12.58 pm it was raised to the top of the shaft and at 1 pm it was brought down by electric current direct from Greenwich and was thus able to give Greenwich Mean Time to ships on the Downs. This system was in operation until 1927 when it was replaced by wireless time signals. Early C19, 4 storeys stuccoed. Hipped slate roof. On top is a copper ball surmounted by a cross with the points of the compass on it and an arrow. 2 sashes with glazing bars intact but modern metal casements and doorcase to ground floor.
Listing NGR: TR3780152476 (2)

Additional references (3-5)

<1> Ordnance Survey, 1862-1875, Ordnance Survey 1:2500 1st Edition : 1862-1875, 1877/1:2500 (Map). SWX11831.

<2> English Heritage, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest (Map). SKE16160.

<3> Indust Arch of SE Eng 1978 35 (A J Haselfoot) (OS Card Reference). SKE44279.

<4> Ordnance Survey, 1928-1947, Ordnance Survey 1:2500 4th edition 1928-1947, 1938/1:2500 (Map). Ske12644.

<5> Ordnance Survey, 2009, OS MasterMap, 2009/MasterMap (Cartographic materials). SWX15710.

Sources and further reading