Clock Tower, Little Plumstead Hospital

GREAT AND LITTLE PLUMSTEAD

494/0/10015 HOSPITAL LANE 18-AUG-03 CLOCK TOWER, LITTLE PLUMSTEAD HOSPITAL

II Clock tower. 1903. Arts and Crafts style. Rendered red brick and tile; plaintile roof. PLAN: square tapering tower. EXTERIOR: 3 stages. Dado of tiles on edge arranged in squares in a chequerwork pattern with a finishing top course in chevron. 2 string courses above of similar chevron pattern tiling, the lower one interrupted on the east face by 3 narrow round-headed lancets constructed entirely of tiles seen edge-on. Upper stage with a circular clock face in a square field with the date in the spandrels: 1903. The west face has at the same level a square-headed lancet of tiles. Cornice of tiles in chevron pattern above, followed by an open cupola carried on one semi-circular tile arch to each face. Pyramid roof with overhanging eaves, and an iron weathervane. INTERIOR: access from the north from the existing stable building through an opening with a semi-circular head. First floor reached by a ladder: plain interior containing water tanks and clock weights. In upper stage is a timber trestle clock frame, supporting a cast-iron and brass tower clock mechanism inscribed on the face of the setting dial: Made by/ John Moore & Sons/ Camberwell/ London/ 1843. This is an attractive and accomplished clocktower in Arts and Crafts style, done at the height of the movement in Norfolk, which was a pioneering county in this respect. Such clock towers are uncommon. Second-hand clock movement of 1843 by John Moore. The abutting stable buildings of 1889 are much altered and are not of special architectural interest