The St Albans Clock Tower stands just a short walk from the Abbey, and if you climb to the top you have a great view back to the cathedral and across the city. You also experience a close up encounter with the cockerel weather vane.
Cockerel weather vane on the Clock Tower, St Albans, Hertfordshire, January 2021
The exact date of construction of this tower is not known, but evidence points to the early fifteenth century, probably between 1403 and 1412. It is believed that it was built as a freestanding bell tower and, in those days, there was no cockerel. We know that substantial renovation work was carried out in 1866, including repair of exterior stonework, staircase, and addition of the gargoyles, spire and vane. Still, the cockerel looks pretty good for its age: 155 and still twirling up above the city.
The same cockerel in 2016 (above) and 2017 (below)
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Copyright Debbie Smyth, 25 January 2021
Posted as part of Becky’s January SquareUp
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Debbie, I adore your title for today….and, of course, I love your photos. 😀
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Looks icy here, too…..I’m staying in!
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155 and still twirling, eh?
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Amazing photos, especially of the weather cockerel! Would please tell me where this tower stands ?
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It is in St Albans in Hertfordshire, close to the Abbey
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That’s a lot of twirling! 🙂 🙂 I foresee a weathervane challenge 😦
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I think a Gaudi challenge would be better 🙂
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I feel like I’ve just done that one 🤣🤣
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🙂 🙂 🙂
And with excellence
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Bless you! 🤗💕💕
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A fine cockerel. I do like a good weather vane.
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Me too. I think they often have a story to tell, even if we can’t work out what that is.
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We don’t have a lot of weather vanes where I live.
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Really not? I’m quite surprised.
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Looks very good for its age, wish I looked that good in all weathers . . . . . and talking of weather, looks like you have been out walking in the snow 😀
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Yes, I was out in it yesterday 🙂 but it’s not lasting. Even as I walked home the snowmen had lost their heads, and any patch that was vaguely downhill had turned to mud beneath the toboggans
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Yes ours is disappearing fast here too, although the slush currently looks like ice.
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