St Albans is an historic city, dating back to the days of the Roman conquest of Britain. It is located 20 miles away from London.
Within the city there is a medieval clock tower. The tower stands in close to the city’s lovely center where there is a bustling market and magnificent cathedral.
The clock tower dates to the early 15th century. The tower was constructed between 1403 and 1412. The building was designed by Thomas Wolvey, who was engaged to build “Le Clokkehouse” in the Market Place.
The clock tower is one of only two similar towers in England. The Tower was also used as a semaphore station from 1808 to 1814 during the Napoleonic Wars.
Harking back to bygone days, the Clock Tower was used to sound the nightly curfew until 1863. Here all good people were to retire to their homes and only vagabonds wandered the city’s streets.
96 steps are required to reach the top of the tower.
The original bell, named for the Archangel Gabriel, is still occasionally chimed. The bell is very loud so it is best not to be in the tower at the time!
The clock works off a four-legged gravity escapement invented by Lord Grimthorpe; Grimthrope was a local horologist who also designed Big Ben’s mechanism. Horology is the science of measuring time. Big Ben is the famous bell in the clock tower in London, part of the Houses of Parliament.
The top of the tower offers some spectacular views.
The tower has been modified several times. Between 1865 and 1866 the architect George Gilbert Scott added the gothic spire and parapets. Scott was the architect of many iconic buildings, including the Midland Grand Hotel at St Pancras Station, the Albert Memorial, and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, each located in London.
The tower is only open Saturdays, Sundays and on public holidays between April and September. The tower costs $1 ($1.50) to visit. For this inexpensive price, the tower is well worth visiting if you are in the area.