http://www.thesohosociety.org.uk/maps/public_clocks/index.html
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The Soho Society © 2010-2011 |
Public Clocks
in Soho
A printer-friendly list of the clocks ranked alphabetically
by street name is available here [one A4 page]
- Be at One pub, 20 Archer Street
- The Berwick Street Cloth Shop, 14 Berwick Street
- Broadwick Street [incorporated in mural on flank wall of 9 Carnaby Street]
- Golden Lion pub, 51 Dean Street [sundial]
- St. Anne's Tower, 55 Dean Street
- Dennys Uniforms, 55a Dean Street [clockwork removed?]
- Bar Italia, 22 Frith Street
- G. Parmigiani Figlio, 43 Frith Street [removed]
- Fintex of London, 19 Golden Square
- 41-44 Great Windmill Street
- Liberty's clock, Kingly Street
- Swiss Glockenspiel clock, Swiss Court, Leicester Square [ It's back!]
- 28 Lexington Street
- The Clock House, 30 Lisle Street [clock's history not known, yet]
- Piccadilly Circus Underground Station
- 50 Regent Street
- Bob Bob Ricard, 1 Upper James Street (off Golden Square)
- J. Blundell &Sons, Wardour Street [removed]
- above Wan Kei restaurant, 41-43 Wardour Street
These eight public clocks are offshore from mainland Soho:
- The Clock Tower, Leicester Square
- Swiss Court, east and west, Leicester Square
- The Ivy Clock, 1-6 West Street, WC2
- 21 Conduit Street, W1
- 35 Cranbourn Street WC2
- The Alfred Marks clock at 100 Oxford Street
- Fortnum & Mason, Piccadilly
- 140 Shaftesbury Avenue WC2, at Cambridge Circus
Our thanks go to Frank at London Transport (Piccadilly Circus Station) for providing additional information.
Be at One pub clock, 20 Archer Street
STREET MAP ▪ CLOCK LIST
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Formerly The Red Lion pub until 1998, it is a focal point in the development of Communism. During the mid-nineteenth century Karl Marx and Frederik Engels met here in an upstairs room to discuss communist theory and write the Communist Manifesto. |
Looking north along Great Windmill Street. The Windmill Theatre is on the right. In the middle-distance on the left side, the Nosh Bar (closed ±September 2010) offers hot salt. Ahead at the corner of Archer Street is the Be at One pub with its blue-painted ground floor facade. Its clock may be seen at the top of the buildng.
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The Berwick Street Cloth Shop
14 Berwick Street
STREET MAP ▪ CLOCK LIST
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Situated on the east side of Berwick Street, the empty casing of the clock remains above the fruit and vegetable market |
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'Spirit of Soho' clock, Broadwick Street
STREET MAP ▪ CLOCK LIST
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Located within the "Spirit of Soho" mural on the Broadwick Street flank wall of no.9 Carnaby Street |
Looking south. The mural is located at the west end of Broadwick Street, very close to its intersection with Carnaby Street.
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Golden Lion sundial, 51 Dean Street
STREET MAP ▪ CLOCK LIST
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The sundial is mounted on the west-facing wall of the Golden Lion public house, Dean Street, between Romilly Street and Shaftesbury Avenue. The gnomon is at a fairly acute angle which is derived from being attached to a west-facing wall and the latitude of London. |
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Bar Italia, 22 Frith Street
STREET MAP ▪ CLOCK LIST
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The chairs and tables outside Bar Italia are usually packed with people sipping coffee, oblivious to the passing of time being recorded by the clock above them. On the same building is a blue plaque which commemorates the demonstration on the premises of the world's first television transmission by John Logie Baird.
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Clock above G. Parmigiani Figlio, grocers, 43 Frith Street
STREET MAP ▪ CLOCK LIST
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Now: 18 October 2010, the clock is no longer in its place above the intersection of Frith Street and Old Compton Street. The grocery shop of G. Parmigiani Figlio Ltd is now occupied by Café Nero.
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Then: October 1952, looking westwards along Old Compton Street, G. Parmigiani Figlio Ltd is on the corner of Frith Street and high above the grocers shop is a three-faced clock mounted on the corner of the building. Outside the shop a large lorry is delivering Coca-Cola™ and, in the road, a stooped porter is pulling a handcart. At the right-hand side of the picture is a van bearing the barely legible words 'The Conti____' and '__ Old Com____'.
This image is displayed here with the kind permission of the copyright holders, Rex Features (stock photographs).
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Fintex of London, 19 Golden Square
STREET MAP ▪ CLOCK LIST
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The clock shown above and right adorns the former premises at 19 Golden Square of Fintex of London, manufacturers of high quality men's suiting. The business was formed in 1881 as Pendle & Rivett Ltd located at 6 Golden Square - which also had a fine public clock, picture below. It then moved to 19 Golden Square and after a number of years to 9/10 Savile Row, London W1. 19 Golden Square is occupied by an 'Eat.' restaurant.
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The clock is located at the south-west corner of Golden Square, a few inches into Lower John Street.
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41-44 Great Windmill Street
STREET MAP ▪ CLOCK LIST |
 Looking south along Great Windmill Street from the corner of Archer Street. The Piccadilly Circus Cinematograph theatre was situated at no.43-44 at the beginning of the twentieth century. |
 It's a tall building in a very narrow street. The name on the lower facade is "Fuller & Richard" and on the facade of the floor above is an intricately worked monogram. The clock has two faces, one facing north and the other facing south. |
 The clock mechanism may possibly have stopped working since the two faces show different times. |
Liberty's clock
Kingly Street (north end)
STREET MAP ▪ CLOCK LIST
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 This elaborate and beautiful timepiece is installed at first floor level in the bridge across Kingly Street. It may be seen from Great Marlborough Street. The wording of the motto is:
NO MINUTE GONE COMES EVER BACK AGAIN
TAKE HEED AND SEE YE NOTHING DO IN VAIN
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Swiss Glockenspiel clock
Swiss Court, Leicester Square
STREET MAP ▪ CLOCK LIST |
These two photographs taken on 8 November 2011 show the new clock in its new location, nearly ready for formal unveiling.
 The south end of Wardour Street is in the foreground. Looking east, the tops of some of Leicester Square's trees may be seen in the background
Looking west towards Piccadilly
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The Clock House (circa 1881)
29-30 Lisle Street at the corner of Newport Place
STREET MAP ▪ CLOCK LIST |
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| According to Kevan's Dead Pubs web-site the Ku-Bar pub at 30 Lisle Street in Chinatown was named the Clock House in 1881. Details of a clock will follow. |
Piccadilly Circus
LT Underground Station
STREET MAP ▪ CLOCK LIST |
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Piccadilly Circus Underground Station has four clocks: three clocks, each mounted within a round brass bezel, and one large rectangular World Time Clock.
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Piccadilly Circus Underground Station - World Time Clock |
Bob Bob Ricard Restaurant
1 Upper James Street, Golden Square, Soho
STREET MAP ▪ CLOCK LIST
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The restaurant's BBR motif appears on the clock face, the door furniture, the windows and its web-site. |
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41-43 Wardour Street
STREET MAP ▪ CLOCK LIST
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Note the elaborate ornamental bracket on which the clock is mounted. |
Situated above the Wong Kei Chinese Restaurant in Wardour Street, this clock marks not just the time but also the business of Willy Clarkson, theatrical wigmaker, 1861-1934, who lived here.
On either side of the main door are plaques which mention Sarah Bernhardt and Sir Henry Irving.
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Public Clocks
offshore from mainland Soho
The Clocktower
tkts™ - The Half-Price Ticket Booth, Leicester Square
(Founded in 1980 and operated by the Society of London Theatre/tkts,
the industry body that represents London theatres)
Situated offshore from mainland Soho but is easily visible from the shoreline
STREET MAP ▪ CLOCK LIST |
 The cupola incorporates a clock having four faces (east-, south-, west- and north-facing) |
 During 2011 Leicester Square was the scene of extensive building works. The statue depicts William Shakespear. |
The Ivy Clock
1-6 West Street, London WC2
Situated offshore from mainland Soho and cannot be seen from the shoreline. However, if you are standing facing the clock as in the large photograph below then you can see Soho and the former church in Charing Cross Road, just south of Cambridge Circus at the end of Litchfield Street.
STREET MAP ▪ CLOCK LIST
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In the pink hour ring, the hour markers incorporate a capital letter I for the twelve, a capital letter V for the nine and the three, and a capital letter Y for the six.
In the surrounding dark blue panels, a capital letter I is placed above the twelve, a capital letter V next to the seven and a capital letter Y next to the five. |
The clock is situated above the Ivy Restaurant at the intersection of West Street and Litchfield Street. The canopy in the right-hand top corner of the photograph is part of the facade of St. Martin's Theatre, home of 'The Mousetrap' by Agatha Christie.
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21 Conduit Street W1
Situated offshore from mainland Soho but is easily visible from the shoreline
STREET MAP ▪ CLOCK LIST
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This clock mounted on its elaborate bracket is situated above the Filofax™ shop at no.21 Conduit Street. |
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35 Cranbourn Street, WC2 (east of Charing Cross Road)
Situated offshore from mainland Soho but is easily visible from the shoreline
STREET MAP ▪ CLOCK LIST |
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The Alfred Marks clock
at 100 Oxford Street
Situated offshore from mainland Soho but is easily visible from the shoreline
STREET MAP ▪ CLOCK LIST
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Situated at first-floor level above the Oxford Street pavement (north side), the clock
shares the address with the 100 Club, one of London's premier jazz clubs. |
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Fortnum & Mason clock
Piccadilly
Situated far offshore from mainland Soho but may, traffic permitting, be visible from the shoreline.
From beneath the clock on a sunny day you should be able to see the Trocadero building at Piccadilly Circus.
STREET MAP ▪ CLOCK LIST
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140 Shaftesbury Avenue WC2, at Cambridge Circus
Situated offshore from mainland Soho but is easily visible from the shoreline
STREET MAP ▪ CLOCK LIST |
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Swiss Court, east and west
one building, two clocks
STREET MAP ▪ CLOCK LIST
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 Swiss Court (east), overlooking the north-west corner of Leicester Square |
 This clock appears to have stopped working. |
 Swiss Court (west), overlooking the south end of Wardour Street. |
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