Chatley Semaphore Tower

TQ 05 NE 374/7/413

BOROUGH OF ELMBRIDGE Cobham TELEGRAPH HILL Chatley Semaphore Tower

(Formerly listed as Semaphore House, Chatley Lane)

14.8.53

II* Semaphore tower. 1822; restored after fire-damage 1989. Red brick in Flemish bond; stone coping to parapet of tower hiding flat roof; hipped Welsh slate roof to porch and kitchen wing; brick chimneys.

Octagonal tower of five storeys with basement; square porch on north side; kitchen wing of one storey and basement, one bay, on south side. Tower: deep plinth; plat band over ground floor and below parapet; alternate faces of tower recessed; windows to entrance and alternate sides, the rear side having stack and other sides blind windows. Windows have 1989 12-pane sashes, projecting ashlar cills and guaged brick arches. Rising from roof, 1989 replica semaphore mast. Porch, up flight of five replacement stone steps with plain railings, has 1989 6-panel door and side-windows. Kitchen wing: 6-pane 1989 basement windows; 12-pane sash on west side; 1989 door on gable end; rebuilt impost band and brickwork above.

Interior: gutted by fire 1984 and restored. One re-installed original fireplace (in "parlour"). The tower went out of use as a signalling tower in 1847, after which it was used as domestic accommodation.

An unusually fine example of the early C19 telegraph-signalling stations and the only surviving tower type.

Listing NGR: TQ0894258506