The Tangible Past: St. Albans Clock Tower, Hertfordshire

Standing proud on Market Cross is the Clock Tower of St. Albans. It provides a superb insight and brief encapsulation into medieval times and is said to be an almost unique building of its type in England.

A Defiant Construction

The Peasant’s Revolt of 1381 was a rebellion against the feudal system: a system which tied the peasantry to their masters by way of debt. Discontentment rose and rioting began but ultimately ended in failure with the execution of the rebellion’s leader, Wat Tyler, in London. This failure to induce solid change is thought to have spawned the construction of the Clock Tower as a defiant act towards the powerful Abbey next door. Construction is thought to have begun by Thomas Wolvey, the royal mason, in around 1403-1412 using infilled flint, brick and stone to build the 65ft, five storied tower which we see today.

The original bell which was fitted was in fact older than the Tower itself having been cast in 1335. The bell ‘is inscribed ‘Missi de coelis habeo nomen Gabrielis’ which translates to ‘I carry the heaven-sent name of Gabriel’. This suggests that the bell may have been given by the Abbey and shows a certain truce between church and citizen. A newer bell was cast and fitted in 1729.

The Tower played an important part in the daily life of the citizens of St. Albans. It managed the market hours and was rung at 4am and 8pm to mark the start and end of the trading day. It was also rung to indicate the curfew time and historically as an alarm to notify the citizens of a surprise attack by the Yorkists in the War of the Roses.

Near Demolition and War

By 1700 the Tower was in a bad way and was in danger of being demolished but was fortunately spared and restored. It had a varied history from then on having been used fleetingly as a post office and then later during the Napoleonic Wars as part of a semaphore line. This consisted of a twenty feet high timber shutter and a small signaller’s hut which were erected on the top of the tower to deliver messages across the country to warn of any oncoming enemy. During peace time the shutter was taken down but the hut remained for the next four decades.

Repair work, lead by Gilbert Scott, continued in 1865 at the cost of £800. Part of this consisted of an automatic system to light the Tower using ‘incandescent gas’. Further improvements were made in 1971. The old lean-to sheds were removed from the base of the Tower which opened up the cobbled area to be used as a public meeting/sitting spot.

Ascending

Entering the Tower through a small wooden door the side takes one into the shop. This and the first floor were let together in 1900. Climbing to the second floor reveals where the clock keeper’s living area was which would have been in use from 1412 – 1866. The third floor contains the Victorian clock which was designed Lord Grimthorpe in 1866. Interestingly, this same gentleman designed the mechanism for Big Ben in London. Continuing up will take one passed the original bell in the fourth floor and then further up onto the top of the Tower itself. Great views of St. Albans Abbey along with the surrounding town and countryside are available.

The Tower is open Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays from Easter to October 10.30am – 5.00pm and costs a £1 to enter for adults and concessions for children.

Sources

- St Albans: A History and Celebration of the City - Tom Doig - 2004 - ISBN: ISBN 1-90493845-0.
- A History of St Albans (History of) – James Corbett – 2006