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Description: | Warsash House was originally the residence of Algernon Sartoris and his family, and later became the home of G A Shenley in the later part of the 19th century. Mr Shenley spent considerable amounts of money on the estate and built the Clock Tower in the early part of the 20th century.
The tower, with its Gillett and Johnson clock, is still one of Warsash's landmarks but the buildings were demolished many years ago and it is now the centre of a busy junction and shopping area.
The original clock struck ship's time (Eight Bells) on a large bell and a copper weather vane designed as a sailing ship surmounted the building. Three water tanks, each holding 2,000 gallons were installed to supply water to the mansion and estate by gravity feed. By the 1930's, these were rusting and the tower had fallen into a derelict state. The clock too had stopped working but was repaired for the Coronation of May 1937.
The approach was from Shore Road and was surrounded by a high brick wall. Inside buildings included stables, harness room, garages, coach house, petrol store, workshop and accommodation for chauffeur or coachman.
The estate was sold about 1916 and the house was eventually demolished. Residential housing now occupies the site. The tower was purchased at auction in 1938 by Victor Collins who bid £2,000 for the corner properties that fronted onto Shore Road and a short distance up Brook Lane. Mr Collins wanted to expand his garage to the crossroads, and within a few months had converted some of the empty buildings to the Clock Tower Garage. The remaining properties were sold or rented to local businesses.
The Clock Tower today is part of the shopping area of Warsash.
References:
1. Spotlight Magazine, 1975.
2. Palmer, Oonagh. 1998. Around Fareham, p. 122.
3. Warsash Local History Society Newsletter No 1, October 1999. The clock tower at Warsash during the period 1936-39.
Copy photograph of a photograph. | Format: | image/jpeg | License: | http://www.sopse.org.uk/ixbin/hixclient.exe?a=query&p=gateway&f=generic_sitetext%2ehtm&_IXFIRST_=1&_IXMAXHITS_=1&cms_con_core_subtype%3acms_con_text_what=copyright&%3acms_sys_group=%22sopse%22 | Rights holder: | Hampshire Library and Information Service - Hampshire County Council | Subjects: | Victor Collins Warsash House shop building Clock Tower Garage water tank clock tower clock garage street G A Shenley house business Brook Lane Gillett and Johnson tower Algernon Sartoris Shore Road tank | Temporal: | start=1910-01-01; end=1930-12-31; | Source: | Sense of place SE | Creator: | Copied by: Dine, Derek; Hampshire County Library; | Identifier: | http://www.sopse.org.uk/ixbin/hixclient.... | Language: | en-GB | Format: | image/jpeg | Go to resource |
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