McKee Clock Tower, Esplanade, Bangor, County Down

The McKee Clock Tower is a free-standing clock tower erected in 1915 on the Esplanade at Bangor, County Down. It was designed by H.C. Bell, the Town Surveyor, and built with funds donated by James McKee, the local Borough Rates Collector, who contributed £200 for the construction of a public clock in the vicinity of the Esplanade.

The tower is constructed of ashlar sandstone, quarried from Scrabo and dressed by Thomas Blaney of Belfast, with the masonry work carried out by John McNeilly of Victoria Street. It is a classically ordered four-sided structure rising from a hexagonal pedestal. The pedestal supports a quadrilobe column that ascends to a modillion cornice. Above this sits a squared upper section with chamfered corners, into which are embedded four skeleton iron clock faces glazed with opal glass at frieze level. These were originally intended to be illuminated at night by gas lighting. The tower is crowned with a pyramidal cap adorned with inset gablets featuring cusped panelling and surmounted by a weather-vane. The principal elevation faces east. A marble plaque at the base records the Council's appreciation for McKee's generous gift, dated 8 July 1915, and was later amended to commemorate his death on 28 April 1919.

The clock was unveiled by Miss Connor of Glenbank on 8 July 1915. The works were manufactured by Sharman D Neill. The tower replaced a bandstand which was subsequently relocated to Marine Gardens. Early twentieth-century photographs from around 1916 show the tower initially surrounded by an iron railing. The tower appears on the fourth edition Ordnance Survey map of 1919–1926.

The clock tower now stands at the east side of Marine Gardens, off Quay Street, positioned to close the vista at the end of High Street and Main Street. It sits adjacent to the listed Court of Petty Sessions and is surrounded by modern landscaped esplanade with vegetation, large car parks to the north and west, and a small replica bandstand to the south. Despite alterations to its setting and surroundings, the tower survives substantially as originally constructed. Its unusual design, fine quality detailing, materials and workmanship remain of special interest. The clock was recently cleaned and restored.