Brighton: The Clock Tower

Image: © Nigel Cox Taken: 8 Jun 2008

One of Brighton's icons, the Clock Tower was built to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria in 1887. However construction work did not begin until 1888, to the designs of John Johnson. The tower is 75 feet tall, and the golden orb above the cupola is a time ball, designed by Magnus Volk (of Brighton's electric railway fame) which rose hydraulically up the mast to fall on the hour under a land line command from Greenwich Observatory. However, and somewhat ironically, complaints about the noise of the falling sphere caused a premature end to its operation. The Clock Tower has not been to everyone's taste, Nikolaus Pevsner infamously describing it as 'worthless', and there have been proposals over the years to remove it, primarily because of the obstruction to traffic it causes. However its importance to the people of Brighton was finally recognised when the council very belatedly granted it Grade II listed building status in 1999. This is the view from the end of Western Road looking east down North Street. Please see Simon's Image and Image for views from two other aspects. Fortunately I am pleased to report that the clock was telling the correct time...

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