| Date | 2 August 2013 |
|---|---|
| Source | Slough Observer |
| Reference | VP-0051 |
| Volume | Views of the Past |
| Collection | Views of the Past |
Transcript
Clock tower through time
THE clock tower near to Maidenhead Railway station is one of the town’s iconic monuments and was built to commemorate the diamond jubilee of Queen Victoria, marking like our current Queen, the achievement of sixty years on the throne.
The tower was built by public subscription. Plans for the monument were drawn up by architect Edward James Shrewsbury and accepted. His work in Maidenhead included a block of buildings in Queen Street constructed in 1876 and the churches of St Pauls, Boyne Hill (1889), Littlewick Green (1893) and St Peter’s Church, Furze Platt (1897).
He also built the Maidenhead Technical Institute in Marlow Road (1895). Shrewsbury’s office was near the Bell Hotel and was in a position to view the clock tower’s construction on a daily basis.
The tower was built by Charles Cox & Son who were notable Maidenhead builders.
Charles Cox was Mayor of Maidenhead the year the monument was suggested as a tribute to Queen Victoria’s reign and was also mayor in 1906 and during the years of the First World War between 1915 to 1918.
The foundation stone for the clock tower was laid by Mayor John Truscott on November 7, 1899, and completed for its dedication on the August 1, 1900.
Originally it was expected that a member of the Royal family would formally dedicate the clock tower, but this was not to be. However, it was opened by Lady Ethel ‘Ettie’ Grenfell, deemed by many locals to be the next best thing to royalty.
She was handed a ceremonial key by John Budgen JP and at precisely 4 pm she pulled an ornamental cord which started the clock and handed the golden key to the tower to Mayor Truscott. An address was then given by her husband William Henry Grenfell at that time High Steward of Maidenhead.
The tower is constructed of red brick and stone and is approximately 14 metres (45ft) tall and has an illuminated clock faced pointing out to each point of the compass and is crowned by a cupola and weathervane.
The clocks were donated by Mr GA Badcock and were made by Frank Smith of Derby who had also built the huge turret clock for St Paul’s Cathedral.
As an epilogue to the story of the construction of Jubilee clock tower, the south-facing clock face has a black diamond pointing down to the six. This is a reference to the death of Queen Victoria, who died on the evening of January 22, 1901, at around half past six.
GRAND: Below, The Jubilee Clock Tower opening on August 1 1900, by Lady Desborough. Left, the ceremonial key presented to Lady Desborough.
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