Bournemouth's Iconic Clocktower
Two years of painstaking restoration has restored the historic clocktower at Bournemouth and Poole College to its former glory.
The 150ft tower originally drew criticism from townsfolk, who thought it jarred with existing buildings, when Bournemouth Municipal College in Lansdowne was completed in 1913.
The tower remained without a clock for six years until one was donated by MP Sir Henry Page Croft’s mother Anne as a symbol of her family's commitment to the town. Sir Henry, later Lord Croft, served as an MP from 1910 to 1940.
The clock, made by JB Joyce & Co in 1912 and costing £356 5s, features four 8ft illuminated dials, made from cast-iron skeletons, each decorated with 47 black and white opal glass pieces with distinctive star centres. Originally it had to be wound by hand and a clock keeper spent 30 minutes a week keeping it ticking.
The tower’s bell, also donated by Mrs Croft at a cost of cost £181 5s, was cast in 1912 by John Warner & Son hoisted into place in December of that year. It is almost 54ins wide, weighs around 1.5 tonnes and chimes in the note of D.
Despite the earlier poor reception, the building’s architectural and historic importance was acknowledged in 1973 when it was awarded Grade II listed status.
Recent Restoration
Despite this, constant salt air from the beach-side location and rain eventually eroded much of the stone masonry.
Restoration works began with a drone survey by specialist conservation contractor Stonewest to assess the weather damage.
Stonemasons then carefully reproduced the tower’s four column heads, known as capitals, in matching Purbeck stone, each with the same intricate circular shape with cut-outs, scrolled ‘shoulders’ and flowered tulip detail in the centre. Each capital took more than a week to complete, using the weather-beaten originals as a template, preserving the historic character of the tower for generations to come.
From September 2027, the Clock Tower will house both Music and Art & Design curriculum areas, which will move over from the Poole Campus.
Clock Tower Music Studios
The Clock Tower Music Studios offer a comprehensive range of creative and technical services across the music and audio industries, encompassing live performance, recording and production, songwriting, and music composition for screen. The studios also specialise in sound design and post-production, audio for games and interactive media, and the exploration of immersive and spatial audio technologies, bringing together artistic creativity, technical expertise and innovative approaches to sound.
*AI-generated image for illustrative purposes only. Designs and features shown are conceptual and subject to change.
Art and Design
Within Art and Design, the Graphic Design, Illustration and Visual Communication Studio develops skills in branding, illustration, digital content, typography, publishing, UI/UX, motion graphics and AI-supported design.
The Printmaking, Materials and Creative Making Studio explores printmaking, textiles and artist books through traditional techniques and digital processes, including laser engraving.
The Fashion, Textiles and Digital Fashion Studio enables students to design and create garments and collections, exploring construction, sustainable fashion, digital pattern cutting, wearable technology, 3D visualisation and virtual fashion.
Within Visual Arts and Contemporary Practice, students experiment with drawing, painting, sculpture, mixed media and large-scale artwork, supported by digital technologies. Across these disciplines, students develop their creative identity, practical expertise and confidence, producing work suitable for exhibitions, galleries and public spaces.
*AI-generated image for illustrative purposes only. Designs and features shown are conceptual and subject to change.
