Just off Caledonian Road in north London you’ll find Caledonian Park, which has an ornate clock tower on one side. It’s not, as you might suspect, the only remaining feature of a church that has long since disappeared (a fate that befell several London churches during the Blitz) – it’s actually entirely secular in origin.
From the mid-1800s the tower marked the centre of the Metropolitan Cattle Market, which was built to take the pressure off its sister site in Billingsgate. The marketplace itself survived until 1963 as a space for bric-a-brac stalls but the pressure on local housing resulted in some of the land being redeveloped for council flats, and the remainder was grassed over to create Caledonian Park, although much of that original housing has now been replaced by newer flats within the same footprint. I think you’ll agree that the clocktower is a strange sight – it really doesn’t fit into its surroundings at all…
Coincidentally, Caledonian Park will be the location for the late spring production of BABEL, the unique open-air theatrical experience which will run from 8 to 20 May in the Park, and which I mentioned on the blog a few weeks ago. The organisers behind this joint venture by several of the arts organisations from London and elsewhere are looking for performers and volunteers to help with the May performances – you can find full details of the opportunities to get involved on the Battersea Arts Centre website here.
March 4, 2012
Events, London Sights, Uncategorized