Skip to content
The Encyclopedia of Horology

Clock · Mantel clock

Windsor mantle clock, Great Western Railway No 3355

Partially verified

This ornate architectural mantel clock, inventoried as Great Western Railway No 3355, is reported by the Science Museum Group to have been made in London between 1845 and 1855 by Cole of London. Sourced from the Royal Waiting Room at Windsor and Eton Station, the clock incorporates bronze, marble, glass, bone, steel, plaster, and gesso. The structure features a bulbous domed finial, side panels flanked by sculpted elephant heads, and red-patterned marble inlays. The circular dial displays Arabic numerals and twin winding arbors.

Front view of the Windsor mantel clock with sculpted elephant heads and domed finial
Front view of the Windsor mantel clock with sculpted elephant heads and domed finial — Science Museum Group. Rights pending — permission not yet requested. Original source

Catalogue identity

Source
collection.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk
Category
Clock · Mantel clock
Maker / attribution
Cole of London
Reference
Not recorded
Catalogue / lot identifier
1994-7373
Source-reported date
1845-1855
Country
United Kingdom
Source-reported serial
31925CHVCNE

Source-reported attribution and specifications are not independent authentication. A listing does not establish present ownership, current display, availability or permission to reproduce.

Object description

Identity and Institutional Provenance

Catalogued under object number 1994-7373 by the Science Museum Group, this mantel clock is recorded as Great Western Railway No 3355. Institutional records credit the provenance to the British Railways Board Records Office, noting its historic placement in the Royal Waiting Room at Windsor and Eton Station.

The timepiece is attributed to Cole of London and dated to approximately 1850 (with broader production dates given as 1845–1855). An internal movement designation is recorded by the museum as '31925CHVCNE', though this inscription cannot be verified from the exterior front view.

Evidence for this section
  • “Clock, mantle, Great Western Railway, No 3355, from Royal Waiting Room, Windsor and Eton Station”
  • “pendulum movement, by Cole of London, c.1850.”
  • “Serial no inside - '31925CHVCNE'.”

Case Architecture and Decorative Elements

The case exhibits an ornate architectural form measuring an overall 630 mm in height, 340 mm in width, and 210 mm in depth. It incorporates a diverse assembly of materials recorded as bronze, marble, glass, bone, steel, plaster, and gesso.

Direct visual observation confirms the structure is surmounted by an onion-shaped ribbed dome and corner finials. The central body features projecting architectural side sections flanked by sculpted elephant heads with downward-curving trunks and tusks, mounted above stepped plinths inlaid with red-and-white mottled marble and resting upon cast scrolled bracket feet.

Evidence for this section
  • “Elephants on side panels.”
  • “overall: 630 mm x 340 mm x 210 mm”
  • “Architectural case surmounted by an onion-shaped ribbed dome and corner finials.”
  • “Frontal projection flanked by sculpted elephant heads with downward-curving tusks and trunks.”
  • “Engraved gilt panel below the dial and stepped base sections accented with red-and-white mottled marble bands.”
  • “Base resting upon cast scrolled bracket feet.”

Dial and Movement Details

The circular dial configuration consists of a white chapter ring calibrated with Arabic numerals, framing an open brass central section fitted with twin winding arbors. Below the dial, an engraved gilt decorative panel is set above the lower marble base tier.

The internal mechanism is reported by the holding institution to feature a pendulum movement. Because the clock case remains closed in the available record photography, internal mechanical components, pendulum suspension, and maker signatures on the plates are not recorded from visual inspection.

Evidence for this section
  • “White chapter ring featuring Arabic numerals encircling an open brass centre with twin winding arbors.”
  • “pendulum movement, by Cole of London, c.1850.”

Open research questions

  • Does the internal movement plate carry an engraved maker signature, date, or serial stamp matching the reported '31925CHVCNE'?
  • Where on the clock structure are the institutional or railway inventory markings for 'GWR No 3355' physically applied?
  • Which specific decorative components utilize the bone, plaster, and gesso listed in the museum materials inventory?

Source evidence

Recorded claims and source quotations for Windsor mantle clock, Great Western Railway No 3355
FieldSource-reported valueSource quotation
Object Number1994-7373“Object Number: 1994-7373”
Maker and DateCole of London, c. 1850“pendulum movement, by Cole of London, c.1850.”
Serial Number31925CHVCNE“Serial no inside - '31925CHVCNE'.”
ProvenanceRoyal Waiting Room, Windsor and Eton Station“from Royal Waiting Room, Windsor and Eton Station”
Measurements630 mm x 340 mm x 210 mm“overall: 630 mm x 340 mm x 210 mm”
GWR Number3355“Clock, mantle, Great Western Railway, No 3355”
Materials ListedBronze, marble, glass, bone, steel, plaster, and gesso“Materials: bronze (copper, tin alloy) , marble (limestone) , glass , bone , steel (metal) , plaster and gesso”
Credit LineBritish Railways Board Records Office“credit: British Railways Board Records Office”
Current LocationNational Railway Museum: Open Store“On display National Railway Museum: Open Store”

Visible details

  • Architectural case surmounted by an onion-shaped ribbed dome and corner finials.
  • Frontal projection flanked by sculpted elephant heads with downward-curving tusks and trunks.
  • White chapter ring featuring Arabic numerals encircling an open brass centre with twin winding arbors.
  • Engraved gilt panel below the dial and stepped base sections accented with red-and-white mottled marble bands.
  • Base resting upon cast scrolled bracket feet.

Research qualifications

  • Internal pendulum movement and internal serial number are source-reported and not visible in the exterior photograph.
  • Only a single frontal photograph is available.

Photograph identity and source facts were screened before import; rights clearance remains pending.

Consulted source

Windsor mantle clock | Science Museum Group Collection

Reviewed 2026-10-21 · Record 69a943c302

Terms in this record

Glossary explanations for terms named in this object’s record.

Other mantel clock records