Clock Tower
John Johnson (1843-1920)
1887
Portland Stone with sandstone banding
Harmer Street, Gravesend, Kent
As stated on the memorial stone, this ambitious town clock was erected in honour of the Queen's Golden Jubilee. With a design based on the tower of Big Ben, it cost over £1000 to build, although the architect himself received less than £77.00 (see Benson 55). Nikolaus Pevsner described it as "imposingly Gothic and not at all vulgar" (292). It has recently been restored and unveiled again with much fanfare.
Photograph © Richard Rogerson, corrected for perspective. Text by Jacqueline Banerjee.