Timeball Tower Museum
Timeball Tower Museum, Victoria Parade, Deal, CT14 7BP
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1069907
- Date first listed:
- 08-Feb-1974
- List Entry Name:
- Timeball Tower Museum
- Statutory Address:
- Timeball Tower Museum, Victoria Parade, Deal, CT14 7BP
Location
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Images of England Project
- Date:
- 2002-08-14
- Reference:
- IOE01/08657/29
- Rights:
- © Mr Steve Dallison. Source: Historic England Archive
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1069907
- Date first listed:
- 08-Feb-1974
- List Entry Name:
- Timeball Tower Museum
- Statutory Address 1:
- Timeball Tower Museum, Victoria Parade, Deal, CT14 7BP
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
Location
- Statutory Address:
- Timeball Tower Museum, Victoria Parade, Deal, CT14 7BP
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- County:
- Kent
- District:
- Dover (District Authority)
- Parish:
- Deal
- National Grid Reference:
- TR 37801 52476
Details
This list entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 07/10/2019
TR 3752 SE
4/180
Victoria Parade
Timeball Tower Museum
(Formerly listed as Timeball Tower, BEACH STREET (West Side))
II
Originally this building, situated at the entrance to the old Navy Yard, was one of 10 royal signal towers used to semaphore messages to the Admiralty from tile fleet at the Downs during the Napoleonic Wars. However, the semaphore line was never completed. Instead the semaphore tower became the headquarters for the coast blockade for the suppression of smuggling until 1831.
In 1855 the tower was adapted to form a Time-Ball Tower. At Greenwich in 1855 the 1st Time Ball was installed to enable ships on the Thames to check their chronometers. In 1855 a similar Time Ball of copper, mounted on a 14 ft mast was installed on top of the old semaphore station in Deal. At 12.55 pm every day the ball was raised halfway, at 12.57 pm it was raised to the top of the mast. At 1 pm at time-signal, direct from Greenwich, was used to operate a slave Shepherd clock at Deal. This relayed the signal to operate the mechanism and allow the ball to drop. This system was in operation until 1927 when it was replaced by wireless time signals.
Built 1820-21, four storeys stuccoed. Hipped slate roof. On top is a copper ball surmounted by a cross with the points of the compass on it and an arrow. Two sashes with glazing bars intact but modern metal casements and doorcase to ground floor.
Listing NGR: TR3780152476
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- 176935
- Legacy System:
- LBS
Legal
This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.
Map
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 13-Jun-2026 at 20:58:03.
Download a full scale map (PDF)End of official list entry
All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.