Bermuda: Clock Tower Mall, Sandys Parish, Bermuda

Royal Naval Dockyard

Clock Tower Mall

Sandys Parish, Bermuda

N 32° 19.507 W 064° 50.098

Short Description: 

The Royal Naval Dockyard's Clock Tower Mall is located at Clock Tower Parade in the west end of Bermuda.

Long Description:

Twin towers characterize the present day Clock Tower Mall which was once the administration building for the Royal Naval Dockyard. The Royal Naval Dockyard was built in 1809 on the west end of Bermuda. Due to the fact that Bermuda is surrounded by reefs, it is the only location in Bermuda that is accessible to large ships. At one time it was the largest British naval base outside the United Kingdom. It provided a vital strategic defense for British interests in the western Atlantic Ocean from the War of 1812 until after the Second World War. The area is defended by a fortress once known as the "Gibraltar of the West.”

Today the dockyard buildings have been restored and converted for commercial use. The buildings, that once housed the administration offices for the British Royal Navy, are now home to the Clock Tower Shopping Mall which contains boutique shops, arts and crafts studios and restaurants. The fortress is home to the National Museum of Bermuda.

The 100' high twin clock towers had different functions. The south tower has a traditional time-of-day clock. The north tower had a single hand that shows the time of high tide.

The stamp was part of a set of 18 definitive stamps issued from 1962 to 1965 each showing a scene from Bermuda.