The monument that survived a fake demolition

When the hay market was relocated and the Assembly Rooms demolished, pedestrians struggled to cross the area due to busy traffic. Local businesses began a petition to erect a clock with a cluster of lamps and a fine colossal statue of Sir Thomas White. The project began in 1867, led by John Burton, and the Clock Tower was constructed in 1868. Architect Joseph Goddard chose a design for an ornamental structure intended to be between 35 and 40 feet high. The tower was built mostly in Ketton stone with a base of Mountsorrel granite and incorporates column shafts made of polished Peterhead granite and serpentine, with statues made from Portland stone.

It has been a survivor. It saw the transition from horses to trams and eventually became the centre-piece of one of the first roundabouts in the UK in 1926. There were calls for the tower to be demolished in the 1930s, and in the 1960s there were suggestions that it should be relocated to Victoria Park. Despite the construction of the Haymarket Shopping Centre and the resulting demolition of many nearby buildings, it has remained.

Do you believe in internet rumors? In 2007, a local man managed to convince thousands of people via a Facebook group that the tower was about to be demolished. He had no evidence other than a Wikipedia edit he made himself. The tower stayed standing despite the fictitious plans.

Today, the landmark remains a meeting point at the crossroads of five major streets. It is a Grade II listed building that has seen extensive restoration and remains a significant part of the city's heart.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons