Queen Victoria - 150 Years - Milton Road, Gravesend, Kent, UK
N 51° 26.498 W 000° 22.387
30U E 682557 N 5702211
This clock tower, that has four clock faces, stands at the junction of Milton Road and Harmer Street. The tower was constructed to commemorate Queen Victoria's golden jubilee in 1887 with this stone being added 100 years later in 1987.
Waymark Code: WMH095
Location: South East England, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 05/01/2013
Views: 3
The inscription is carved onto a stone on the west side of the clock tower with a medallion of Queen Elizabeth set above it. The inscription reads:
This Medallion
carved during the 36th year
of the reign of
Queen Elizabeth II
commemorates the centenary
of the erection of
The Clock Tower
and the 150th anniversary
of the accession of
Queen Victoria
The clock tower was built to celebrate the golden jubilee of Queen Victoria on 20th/21st June 1887. The memorial stone at the base of the tower, on the north face reads:
This Clock-Tower
was erected by public subscription
in honour of
Her Majesty Queen Victoria
The remainder of the inscription has weathered and is unreadable.
The Discover Gravesham website tells about the tower:
"The year was 1887, and up and down the country Victorians were thinking about ways in which they could celebrate the Golden Jubilee of their Queen. In Gravesend, a committee was formed to consider a variety of proposals ranging from a public landing stage close to Town Pier to the endowment of the hospital. The committee's vote was unanimous in favour of a clock tower.
The sum of £679 14 shilling (£679.70) was eventually raised and architects were invited to submit designs under pseudonyms so that there could be no bias in the judging. The winning architect used the name 'Experience' and was Mr John Johnson. The building of the tower was put out to tender and Mr W H Archer's costing of £675 to build a Portland Stone tower was accepted. The end of Harmer Street was the site chosen for the clock tower. The street itself is lined with impressive four-storey terrace buildings that are part of the ‘new’ Gravesend started in the 1840s. The architect Amon Henry Wilds (who also designed the Town Hall) planned a grand route leading from the riverside at the Royal Terrace Pier right up to Windmill Hill. At the riverside end, there were pleasure gardens designed by J C Loudon, a well-known landscape designer of the day. The clock tower was constructed on the centre point of the route at Berkley Crescent. The foundation stone was laid on 6 September 1887 and was the highpoint of the Queen's Jubilee celebrations with over 6,000 people attending the ceremony.
Under the foundation stone in a sealed bottle are copies of local papers and coins minted specially for the Jubilee. The money to pay for the clock itself still had to be raised and it was the 5 June 1889 before the Mayor started the clock for the first time. The dial was lit by gaslight which turned off automatically at daylight. Contemporary sources suggest Smith & Son of the Midland Clock Company made the clock and the bells were cast by Warner & Co, Cripplegate, London. The total cost for the clock and tower was £1,097. It stands over 50ft (18.2 m) high and each clock face is 5 ft 6in (1.6 m) in diameter."
The clock tower is Grade II listed and the entry at the English Heritage website advises:
"Built by John Johnson in 1887 the chimes were inserted in 1891 and the medallion to Edward VII was added in 1912. Built of white stone with bands of red at base and top. Gabled clock faces above spirelet. 4 angle turrets at top and base."