The Clock Tower

The Clock Tower was built in 1855 as part of the Caledonian Market, designed by James Bunstone Bunning, Architect and Surveyor to the Corporation of the City of London. It is constructed of Portland stone, with decorative cast ironwork and a slate roof.

The tower is square and has five stages. The first two stages are decorated with banded rustication. Round arches project from each of the four sides, with the south arches projecting southwards, and so on. Each arch has a keystone, flanked by a rusticated pier on the tower side and a rusticated anta on the outer side. The cornice of the first stage extends to the anta, topped by a ball finial. Concave buttresses sweep upwards from each finial, resembling inverted consoles, and meet with a continuation of the inner pier, both being crowned by a ribbed cornice and bold double consoles.

The main, round-arched entrance is on the south side, set beneath a round arch with a keystone. Round arches on the other sides are now blocked. A plain moulded cornice sits above this level. The second stage has round-arched windows with ribbed sills and keystones, featuring original glazing which is now partly obscured. A ribbed cornice and a keyed oculus mark the third stage. The fourth stage features paired, round-arched, louvred openings with an entablature, panelled spandrels, and a keystone below each clock face, also with panelled spandrels. The clock itself was made by John Morris of Clerkenwell in 1856. The third and fourth stages are set under a round arch of rustication, topped by a ribbed cornice. The fifth stage has a balcony with elaborate cast-iron brackets and railings, and is arcaded with three round arches on each side, forming a belvedere which served as a bell-chamber. These arches have entablature, keystones, and panelled spandrels alongside a panelled frieze. A deep bracketed cornice and a parapet with stone piers and a cast-iron balustrade follow. The tower is topped with a pyramidal roof and an iron weather vane.