Lost Edinburgh: The London Road clock

Since its removal in 2007 the London Road clock has been a sorely-missed part of Edinburgh's street furniture.

It made way for a tram system which ultimately failed to reach the section of town which it inhabited. There is of course talk of putting it back – but until the question of extending Edinburgh’s tramline is resolved.

The clock itself has had a rather interesting history. It was cast at the Caledonian foundry in Leith and installed as a 5-lamp pillar column (no clock yet) on Waverley Bridge in 1857. There it stood until 1896 when it was redesigned as a timepiece and re-sited at the West End outside Maule’s department store (later Binns). Another move followed in 1955 to the roundabout at London Road, and there it remained until the tram works necessitated its removal.

With the roundabout at London Road soon to be converted into a T-junction, it looks unlikely that the clock will ever return to the centre of the roadway. A new location is currently being discussed by City of Edinburgh Council.