Terrys Of York Clock Tower, Water Tower And Boiler House With Transformer House Attached

The clock tower, water tower, and boiler house with an attached transformer house were built between 1924 and 1930 by J G Davies and L E Wade for Terry's of York. The buildings are red brick in English bond, with sandstone dressings and a parapet. The roof is concrete and asphalt, and the windows are metal framed with small panes. The tower rises in six stages and the attached buildings are three storeys high. The tower features brick angle pilasters with sunk-panel ashlar heads at the fifth stage, and large sash windows with triple keyed lintels. The top stage has ashlar quoins and a clock face on each side, with the words "TERRY YORK" replacing the numerals. The parapet has large corner blocks with balustrades between. The boiler house and transformer house have small-pane sashes in plain surrounds, brick parapets, and sandstone eaves bands. The ground floor interior of the boiler/transformer house remains operational and is filled with machinery. Terry's of York began as a confectionary business in 1767 and steadily expanded, eventually constructing these new premises at Bishopthorpe Road to facilitate continued growth. The building forms part of a group of structures including headquarters offices, a factory, a time office block, and a liquor factory, all built concurrently to reflect the strong corporate image of Terry’s chocolate firm. This complex represents a significant surviving example of York's important confectionery industry on a national scale.