Berkeley Memorial, Clock and fountain monument in Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis
The Berkeley Memorial stands in the middle of the Circus, a roundabout modelled on London's Piccadilly Circus. It is a four-sided cast-iron drinking fountain with a clock, set on a round base and shaped as a modified octagon with four bays, each holding a basin. Four clock faces look down the four streets meeting at the Circus. The central column rises in five tiers divided by cornices and acroteria, with a weather vane on top.
The Berkeley Memorial was built in the 1880s to honour Thomas Berkeley Hardtman Berkeley, a former president of the General Legislative Council. It was cast by the Sun Foundry in Glasgow as its "Drinking fountain number 1"; the second example made by the foundry has not survived. Its centenary was celebrated in 1983, the year Saint Kitts gained independence.
The memorial marks the central gathering point of Basseterre's main roundabout, which draws inspiration from London's Piccadilly Circus. Locals and visitors use it as a natural meeting place and reference point when moving through the city.
The memorial sits directly in the center of the square and is easily accessible from all sides. The location is well-lit and has seating nearby where you can rest and get your bearings.
The structure was manufactured by Glasgow's Sun Foundry and remains the sole surviving example of three similar monuments produced by this Scottish foundry. This makes it a rare remnant of Victorian-era engineering craftsmanship in the Caribbean.
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