Adventures with Local Turret Clocks N.O 2!
Streatham High Rd, London SW16 1HS
Sunday 23rd November 2025
Shortly after the visit to Holy Trinity, Wandsworth I had arranged a visit to see St Leonards Church in Streatham.
The church, which was built as early as 1350 (according to Historic England records)is made out of knapped flint with stone dressing however the tower and connecting parts seem to be made out of different materials.
Unfortunately, in 1975 there was a fire due to an arson attack. It seems to be a recurring trend in the mid 70s of churches being targeted for arson. I’m not sure why this was.
The lowest part of the tower is the oldest surviving element and the upper stories and spire date from a restoration in 1841.
We arrived at the church just after the Sunday Service and met Tony who is the Tower Captain at St Leonards.
We first ascended a staircase just to the right of the main entrance under the tower. The clock movement is one made by ‘Penton’. It’s estimated to be made about 1760. I could not find any other clocks that share the same maker apart from a Turret Clock in the church of St Peter and St Paul in Ringwood. Apparently that clock movement is from 1776 and also shares the name Penton. It is also described as a ‘Pagoda Turret Clock Mechanism’ which seems to be the shape of St Leonards.
Unfortunately the clock movement is suspended quite high up and on a platform and so we didn’t get a close look at it due to it being inaccessible. It also unfortunately wasn’t running but they have plans to repair it soon!
Please see pics below, I’m afraid they aren’t very good but I tried my best!
After peering at the clock movement for a bit, Tony revealed a rather small looking door to the left of the opening we had just walked through. Opening the door immediately revealed a very narrow set of stone steps.
Traversing up those steps we then headed into the bell ringing room. The tower has a ring of 8 bells with its Tenor being in G. As the clock face is quite high up in the tower, we got to take a look at part of the motion work for the clock dial (which was covered by a plastic box marked Gillett and Johnston, perhaps they maintain this one?)
Tony then invited me to have a go at bellringing, after my start at Holy Trinity a few days before I was sure that I would be much better at it. I can confidently say that… I was wrong (I promise I get better in future visits!)
Tony was a very good teacher however and I did manage to ‘chime’ the bell once. At least we heard a sound!
I think the coolest part of the trip however was seeing photos of new bells being brought in from the Whitechapel Bell Foundry after the fire of 1975. Lifting up the bells through the trapdoor with a singular chain in the centre of the tower doesn’t look or sound easy.
Overall it was a fantastic visit. I’m very happy to see that the clock tower has retained it’s original (?) mechanism.
Thank you very much to Tony for agreeing to the visit and of course giving us a tour! It was most interesting and definitely an aid to my studies.
On to the next one!
Clockman's Adventures! 