50 High Street, Harlesden, London NW10 4LS
Harlesden Jubilee Clock Tower
Strange monument
Place photograph
3.3
Wildland
Under 1 hour
Time
Check
Cost
Historic
Feel
Why it's Wildland
3.3Erected by public subscription in 1887, Harlesden’s clock tower began as more than a timekeeper: it also incorporated a fountain and lamp. Its surviving inscriptions preserve the names of the people involved in its creation.
This is a compact urban heritage stop rather than a wild landscape. Its appeal lies in the unusual layers of a Victorian street monument: a clock tower that once combined public timekeeping, lighting and drinking water, with traces of its changing history recorded on the structure.
Historic
Find your way
Open map50 High Street, Harlesden, London NW10 4LS
Opening map…
Know this place a little better?
The experience
A brief stop to see the tower, inspect its inscriptions and consider how its original functions changed over time. The supplied sources do not support a longer itinerary at the site.
Things to do
Read the tower’s inscriptions
Inspect the base for the inscription recording that the tower was erected by public subscription in 1887, and for the names of the committee members listed there.
A few minutes
Imagine its former functions
The clock tower once also served as a lamp and fountain. Its original fittings reportedly included drinking cups, basins and dog troughs, features that have since been lost.
A few minutes
Make a day of it
Quick escape · Under 1 hour
A close look at the clock tower
- 01
Visit the tower at its listed High Street location.
- 02
Read the inscriptions on its base, including the reference to its erection by public subscription in 1887.
- 03
Look for evidence of the structure’s former roles as a fountain, lamp and clock tower.
Verified history
The tower was erected by public subscription in 1887. The London Remembers account records names on its base, including C. J. Glass, John Soper, G. Goldney-Cary, Jas. Maxwell and Wm. Orme Wedlake. It describes the monument as having served as a fountain, lamp and clock tower, with a weathervane above. The structure was moved three metres in 1939 after damage to its lighting fixtures from derailed trams. It was renovated in 1992 and 1997, then temporarily removed during a town-centre regeneration project in 2014. Refurbished in its original colour scheme, it was unveiled at the High Street’s semi-pedestrian section on 14 February 2015. The source notes that the inscriptions do not explicitly refer to Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee, despite the 1887 date.
Hidden details
A monument with several former jobs — The tower was not just a clock: it also functioned as a lamp and public fountain. The source lists lost fittings including dog troughs, demi-lune basins and drinking cups on chains.
The inscription leaves a question open — The 1887 date is associated with Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee, but the London Remembers account says it found no explicit reference to the Jubilee on the monument itself.
When to go
· No specific time of day is supported by the available sources.
The supplied sources do not identify a seasonal feature or best visiting season.
Check local conditions before visiting.
What to look for
Look for the inscribed names on the base, the 1887 public-subscription inscription, and details of the tower’s former fountain and lighting functions. The source describes features that have since been lost, including drinking cups, basins, dog troughs and a weathervane.
The story
Industrial
Best time to go
Any time of year
No season-specific advice is supported by the available sources. Check conditions before visiting.
How long to spend
Under 1 hour
Perfect for
History lovers
Before you go
Address
Listed hours
- Monday: Open 24 hours
- Tuesday: Open 24 hours
- Wednesday: Open 24 hours
- Thursday: Open 24 hours
- Friday: Open 24 hours
- Saturday: Open 24 hours
- Sunday: Open 24 hours
Check before visiting.
Google rating
Practical information
Opening & access
The tower is listed at this High Street address. Trip.com describes it as open all day, but check locally before visiting; the supplied sources do not confirm access arrangements. Access arrangements are unconfirmed. Check before visiting; do not enter private land or restricted structures.
Check before visiting
Parking
Check before visiting.
Check before visiting
Toilets
Check before visiting.
Check before visiting
Food & drink
Check before visiting.
Check before visiting
Dogs
Check before visiting.
Check before visiting
Accessibility
The source row reports a wheelchair-accessible entrance and car park, but this has not been independently verified. Check current conditions before travelling.
Check before visiting
Cost
Check before visiting
Check before visiting
Gallery
Place photographsKeep exploring
Around Harlesden Jubilee Clock Tower
Within 50 km · approximate straight-line distances
