The construction and use of Grahamstown cathedral's towers

Abstract

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.