The clock is located on Lever House on Wood Street in Port Sunlight village.
Lever House is a Grade II listed building, designed in 1895 by architects William and Segar Owen, for William Hesketh Lever and James Darcy Lever who were owners of Lever Brothers soap works.
The office block was extended in 1913–14 by James Lomax-Simpson. The original block is in a single storey with 35 bays; the later block at the rear is in two storeys and has 21 bays.
The middle eleven bays at the front are in stone with a central pedimented doorway and a balustrade. The other bays are in brick with stone dressings and a slate roof. SOURCE: (
visit link)
The clock is mounted on the stone section of the building above the pedimented doorway. The circular clock is surrounded by a stone border, and has a green face with gold roman numerals, minute marks and hands. The clock face has the name Joyce of Whitchurch in gold lettering.
"J. B. Joyce & Co, clockmakers, were founded in Shropshire in England. The company claim to be the oldest clock manufacturer in the world, originally established in 1690and have been part of the Smith of Derby Group since 1965." SOURCE: (
visit link)
The Grade II listed description of Lever House given by British Listed Buildings reads as follows;
"BEBINGTON WOOD STREET
SJ 38 SW
(south side)
Port Sunlight
6/284
Lever House
12.2.86
G.V. II
Office building. 1895. By William and Segar Owen. Rear block. 1913-14. By J. Lomax Simpson. Brick with stone dressings, slate roofs. One storey, 35-bay block to street, with 2 storey 21 bay rear block. Central 11 bays of stone.
Top entablature, cornice, and parapet to right of centre. Centre has moulded base, sill course and balustrade; Ionic pilastrade with end quoin strips.
Windows have architraves, keys and segmental pediments and are sashed, no glazing bars; relief carving of wreaths, swags, ribbands and drops.
Central entrance has architrave with key and overlight, cartouche above inscribed "LEVER HOUSE"; flanking panelled pilasters with entablature blocks and open pediment.
Clock above has open segmental pediment and carved surround. Royal Arms above balustrade. 2 wrought iron bracketed lamps. Wings have applied round arcade with paired windows with stone lintels, bays flanking centre are narrower. End bay has paired entrances under round archivolts and fanlights. Several cross-axial stacks. Rear block similar, all but end 3 bays have balustrade, central panel with date. Windows similar to above, those to centre 5 bays with stone architraves, flanked by bull's eyes in square stone panels. Cross-axial stacks. Interior has richly decorated entrance hall with short flight of steps to upper end, saucer dome and rectangular ceiling light. Entrances have swan-neck pediments. Large office wings to sides have segmental vaulted ceilings, similar wing to rear has 1st floor balcony. Listing NGR: SJ3373783906" SOURCE: (
visit link)
A photograph of clerks seated at rows of wooden desks in one of the offices within the east wing of Lever House at the Sunlight Soap factory, can be seen at the following link: (
visit link)