• Chester Borderlands •

The Eastgate Clock is a turret clock built above the Eastgate of the ancient walls of Chester. Although the original gate was built by the Roman, the present gate was built in Georgian times. However, the clock wasn't added until the Victorian era to celebrate Queen Victoria's diamond jubilee. The clock is considered a landmark of Chester, and is the second most photographed timepiece in the United Kingdom after Big Ben. Eastgate with its clock is a Grade I listed building.

However, a lack of funding by Chester City Council led to the idea being abandoned for 25 years, until the idea was revived as part of the Diamond Jubilee celebrations. The Duke of Westminster solicited designs from the eminent architect John Douglas, who had designed much of Chester's Tudorbethan architecture.

The proposal was not initially popular; initially, the public preferred either a statue of Queen Victoria for the town square or a large donation to the Queen Victoria's Jubilee Institute for Nurses. However, eventually enough support was canvassed for the committee set up to choose a memorial to accept the clock.