A Timepiece's Tales: Medieval Gargoyles and Semaphore Stations

The Clock Tower in St Albans soars 19.6 meters high, erected between 1403 and 1412. This Grade I listed belfry showcases a tale of protest against the abbey's authority to regulate time in the town. Though the top section of the St Albans Eleanor Cross was destroyed during the English Civil War, and the rest was demolished in 1701-1702, the Clock Tower's roof was used as a semaphore station during the Napoleonic Wars. A small wooden observation hut was built on it during this period, but it was removed in 1852. Today, the restored Clock Tower houses gargoyles on each angle, cusped ogee windows, and a capped turret. The top floor doubles as its roof, accessible via a 93-step spiral staircase.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons