Deal Timeball Tower

In the days when ship navigation relied on setting the chronometer and using the sun and stars, aided by a sextant, it was imperative to set the ship timepiece reliably. This was done by viewing the timepiece tower with its falling ball as they set sail. The Timepiece Tower retains the ball and mechanism that helped long ago sailors. The small museum is inexpensive and worth a visit to find how naval and military communication took place using visual signals of various types before the first undersea cables were laid. A fascinating story that is nicely explained by the staff and by the displays.