Time Ball Buildings, Grade II* listed building in Briggate, Leeds, England
The Time Ball Buildings stand on Briggate in Leeds as a three-story structure with four windows across its width and a stucco facade worked with decorative details. Slate roofing covers the top, and an ornate wooden bay window at number 24 features curved glass panes topped with a domed sphere.
This structure emerged in the 19th century and first housed various businesses including a distillery and watchmaker John Dyson. Dyson expanded his operations to include adjacent properties numbered 24 to 26, establishing the site as a notable watchmaking center.
The inscription TEMPUS FUGIT and Father Time sculpture on the facade show how much the Victorians valued punctuality and accurate timekeeping. These visual details remain visible reminders of what mattered most to people working in this part of the city.
The building sits directly on Briggate and is easy to spot from street level, with its full facade visible from the pavement. The time ball mechanism operates daily and provides an engaging sight for visitors who happen to be nearby during the afternoon.
The time ball drops precisely at 1 PM each day, mounted on an iron mast clearly visible above the roofline of the building. This device once served as an essential signal for business owners and workers across the city who lacked personal timekeeping devices.
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