Clock Tower In Public Gardens

The Clock Tower in the Public Gardens was built in 1905 and is a Grade II listed structure. It is made of cast iron and stands on a moulded granite plinth. The tower has an octagonal shaft with two tiers of moulded panels, featuring quatrefoil clustered colonnettes at the corners, which are connected by arches of drop tracery. The clock stage has four sides, each displaying a clock, and the upper corners are adorned with sphinx busts on consoles. An entablature crowns the cardinal sides, each topped with small pediments. The structure is capped with an onion dome, decorated with fish scales and an elaborate weathervane. At the base level of the cardinal sides, there are inscriptions stating, "This clock and tower were presented to the Borough of Dorchester by Charles Hansford Esq A.D. 1905". Above this, two cartouches are placed one above the other, with the lower cartouche featuring a relief head of Charles Hansford and the upper one displaying the relief of the Borough Arms.