Little Ellingham Clock Tower in Little Ellingham, England

Rising out atop the trees as you drive through the sleepy Norfolk village of Little Ellingham, this utterly unique building is not what you expect to see as you appear out the end of a country road. Yet there it is, sitting on the grounds of the village's grand Victorian hall. Built in 1855, this one-of-a-kind folly was built alongside the hall itself, and consists of a red-trimmed brick tower topped with a white wooden cupola and three clock faces (it's likely that there was originally a fourth at one point) and supported by two cottages with colossal chimneys that form a roughly cross-shaped base. One can't help but wonder quite what possessed the architect to include something this interesting in the middle of Norfolk where barely anyone would see it. As it stands, it is something of a landmark amongst the surrounding towns and villages, and a well-hidden secret of this quintessentially Norfolk settlement.

May 9, 2025 - 17:10

Little Ellingham Clock Tower in Little Ellingham, England

This view is probably the first you'll see of this building.

Rising out atop the trees as you drive through the sleepy Norfolk village of Little Ellingham, this utterly unique building is not what you expect to see as you appear out the end of a country road. Yet there it is, sitting on the grounds of the village's grand Victorian hall.

Built in 1855, this one-of-a-kind folly was built alongside the hall itself, and consists of a red-trimmed brick tower topped with a white wooden cupola and three clock faces (it's likely that there was originally a fourth at one point) and supported by two cottages with colossal chimneys that form a roughly cross-shaped base.

One can't help but wonder quite what possessed the architect to include something this interesting in the middle of Norfolk where barely anyone would see it. As it stands, it is something of a landmark amongst the surrounding towns and villages, and a well-hidden secret of this quintessentially Norfolk settlement.