Snippets
A collection of interesting, electic (ok, random) snippets of information about Wimbledon Village, Wimbledon Common and the surrounding area. Too short to justify a full article, too interesting to be lost. I hope to work some of them up into longer pieces at some point (don't hold your breathe, though) and would welcome comments, additions, old pictires and photos ancient and modern! |
The Clock Tower, Old Fire Station, Wimbledon Village
This three stage clock tower atops the old fire station at the end of the High Street in Wimbledon Village. The fire station, now listed, dates from 1890, when it replaced an older station behind the Dog and Fox (this one stands opposite the Dog and Fox on the other side of the road. It was home to a fire pump called the May Queen.
There was a bad fire at Cannizaro House, on the other side of Wimbledon Common in 1900 and it was discovered that the fire brigade didn't have enough hose to pump water from the nearby Rushmere Pond. As a result it was decided to build a new fire station in Queen's Road. The new fire station opened in 1904.
This clock tower was heavily restored in 1968.