Croydon Clocktower
Encyclopedia
Croydon Clocktower on Katharine Street in Croydon
is an arts centre in London
, England. It contains the Museum of Croydon
, the Riesco Gallery with a collection of Chinese
pottery and ceramics, the David Lean Cinema
, the Braithwaite Hall used for concerts and conferences, and a café and bar. The museum includes exhibits about the important black composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor
(1875–1912) who lived most of his life in Croydon.
The centre is owned and run by Croydon Council
, and also houses Croydon's Central Library. The building links into the Town Hall and some areas of the building, most notably the Braithwaite Hall, are part of the original town hall and library complex, built in 1892–1896 to a design by Charles Henman Jun.
The Clocktower is the tower of the Town Hall. New buildings were built alongside the Town Hall and were opened by Queen Elizabeth II
in 1994.
The Clocktower also incorporates a Youth Ambassadors group, aimed at bringing more young people to the Clocktower.
, located on four floors inside the Clocktower, is Croydon's main public library
, part of the Croydon Libraries arm of the council.
Croydon Central Library offers a wide range of books, CDs, DVDs and videos for reference and loan.
Books are available in most of the local communities' languages.
The Wordwise collection of books caters for children who suffer from dyslexia
, and there is a large and extensive gay and lesbian collection, the largest range in London.
Level 0 contains customer service desks and a large children's library.
The newspaper archive on the top floor includes all the major newspapers dating back to the 1990s.
Other features include periodicals, community information, homework help clubs and reading groups, as well as a local studies library and extensive archives.
An Enquiry service is available, as well as a Tourist Information Centre, one of three in South East London.
The library also offers a number of free-to-access PCs
with internet connection.
The Clocktower Café is situated just outside the library.
Croydon
Croydon is a town in South London, England, located within the London Borough of Croydon to which it gives its name. It is situated south of Charing Cross...
is an arts centre in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England. It contains the Museum of Croydon
Museum of Croydon
The Museum of Croydon is a museum located inside the Croydon Clocktower arts facility. It is in Central Croydon, London Borough of Croydon, England. The museum is stated to be a lifetime museum, which showcases historical and stylish artifacts which were derived from the borough...
, the Riesco Gallery with a collection of Chinese
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
pottery and ceramics, the David Lean Cinema
David Lean Cinema
The David Lean Cinema is a small cinema built in the 1990s to honour the director David Lean who was born in the town. It is located in Croydon, London on Katharine Street...
, the Braithwaite Hall used for concerts and conferences, and a café and bar. The museum includes exhibits about the important black composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor was an English composer who achieved such success that he was once called the "African Mahler".-Early life and education:...
(1875–1912) who lived most of his life in Croydon.
The centre is owned and run by Croydon Council
London Borough of Croydon
The London Borough of Croydon is a London borough in South London, England and is part of Outer London. It covers an area of and is the largest London borough by population. It is the southernmost borough of London. At its centre is the historic town of Croydon from which the borough takes its name...
, and also houses Croydon's Central Library. The building links into the Town Hall and some areas of the building, most notably the Braithwaite Hall, are part of the original town hall and library complex, built in 1892–1896 to a design by Charles Henman Jun.
The Clocktower is the tower of the Town Hall. New buildings were built alongside the Town Hall and were opened by Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
in 1994.
The Clocktower also incorporates a Youth Ambassadors group, aimed at bringing more young people to the Clocktower.
Central Library
Croydon Central LibraryCroydon Central Library
Croydon Central Library is Croydon's main public library located inside the Croydon Clocktower in Croydon, south London. It is owned by the London Borough of Croydon on behalf of Croydon Council. The library is located on four floors inside the Clocktower...
, located on four floors inside the Clocktower, is Croydon's main public library
Public library
A public library is a library that is accessible by the public and is generally funded from public sources and operated by civil servants. There are five fundamental characteristics shared by public libraries...
, part of the Croydon Libraries arm of the council.
Croydon Central Library offers a wide range of books, CDs, DVDs and videos for reference and loan.
Books are available in most of the local communities' languages.
The Wordwise collection of books caters for children who suffer from dyslexia
Dyslexia
Dyslexia is a very broad term defining a learning disability that impairs a person's fluency or comprehension accuracy in being able to read, and which can manifest itself as a difficulty with phonological awareness, phonological decoding, orthographic coding, auditory short-term memory, or rapid...
, and there is a large and extensive gay and lesbian collection, the largest range in London.
Level 0 contains customer service desks and a large children's library.
The newspaper archive on the top floor includes all the major newspapers dating back to the 1990s.
Other features include periodicals, community information, homework help clubs and reading groups, as well as a local studies library and extensive archives.
An Enquiry service is available, as well as a Tourist Information Centre, one of three in South East London.
The library also offers a number of free-to-access PCs
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
with internet connection.
The Clocktower Café is situated just outside the library.