Clock Tower Promenade Morecambe

In 1902, following the granting of a charter by Edward VII, the Morecambe District Council approached Andrew Carnegie, the philanthropist, for a grant to finance the building of a Technical Schoo. This was refused. However, an offer of £4,000 was made towards the cost, providing the Council could produce £300 per annum to keep the library stocked, it was also proposed that the site for the library should be in the form of a donation so as not to burden the ratepayers. A month went by during which a decision could not be made on the levy to keep the library stocked. The offer subsequently lapsed as the town would not, or could not find a halfpenny rate to support it.

In March 1905 the Council made an announcement that The Mayor, Councillor John R. Birkett had expressed his desire to present a Clock Tower to the town in place of the Free Library. The foundation stone was laid by his wife on the 3rd anniversary of Charter Day, the 24th June 1905, Charles Cressey, on behalf of Cressey and Keighley, the architects, presented the Mayoress with a silver mallet to commemorate the occasion.The Clock Tower was built by John Edmonson (who also built Morecambe Bay Primary School) while Rhodes of Lancaster made the clock itself, which featured four dials, struck the hours and was illuminated at night.