The Clock Tower

Anyone who has passed through Leicester's city centre can hardly have failed to notice the Clock Tower. Completed in 1868, the Tower has become the heart of Leicester city in more ways than one.

This one piece of architecture bears witness to both past and present. A testament to historical figures of ages now elapsed, these historical figures peruse the changing city and welcome the youth of tomorrow.

It isn't until you are an ex resident of Leicestershire that you realise how significant the Clock Tower is for Lestrian's. It was a huge part of my life and remains so for residents still. It didn't or doesn't matter where you live in Leicestershire, almost every resident knows how to reach it.

The tower has established itself as a meeting place for every age group of every ethnic group dwelling within Leicestershire's borders. Friends meet there, people rest there, and many relationships are formed and broken in one night there! You see, you can almost guarantee that if you're meeting anyone in town, that meeting place will be the Clock Tower. Of course, the clock isn't necessarily kind when that date is late or fails to show at all!

It witnesses a great deal of Leicestershire life this monument, and I'm sure it has many a story to tell. There have been many changes surrounding it since 1868. From coffee stalls at it's base (yes we Brit's do drink coffee) to having complex tram systems passing around it and it's even had to withstand a threatened removal to another location and even removal altogether! That would be criminal, not to mention it would throw us into utter chaos! Where would we meet for heaven's sake?

It's a pretty special place to 'us Leicester folk' and regardless of how long it is before I'm home again, I will always, always know where to find it!

Next month we'll examine the Clock Tower's history. Just who are those four stone figures staring down at us?

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The Clock Tower- A Brief History
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