Contree (Jul 2024)

The construction and use of Grahamstown cathedral's towers

  • J.M. Berning

DOI
https://doi.org/10.4102/nc.v22i0.713
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 22, no. 0

Abstract

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By the mid-1840s attempts were being made to adapt the square tower of St George's Church to contain a public clock. After the church had become a cathedral in 1853, there were serious attempts to transform the building into a typical Gothic style. When the plan to build a tower containing a public clock failed in 1860, the existing tower was adapted to house a clock purchased by public subscription. These alterations, however, contributed to the collapse of the tower and the removal of the clock. Eventually a new tower was built to designs by Sir Gilbert Scott as a combined cathedral and public clock tower.

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