Joseph Chamberlain Memorial Clock Tower

The Joseph Chamberlain Memorial Clock Tower, or simply Old Joe, is a clock tower and campanile located in Chancellor's court at the University of Birmingham, in the suburb of Edgbaston. It is the tallest free-standing clock tower in the world, although its actual height is the subject of some confusion. The university lists it as both 110m and 99m tall, whereas other sources state that it is 100m tall. In a lecture in 1945, Mr. C. G. Burton, secretary of the University, stated that the tower stands 329 ft high, the clock dials measure 17 ft in diameter, the length of the clock hands are 10ft and 6ft, and the bell weighs 5 tons.The tower was built to commemorate Joseph Chamberlain, the first Chancellor of the University (with the commemoration being carved into the stone at the tower's base), although one of the original suggested names for the clock tower was the 'Poynting Tower', after one of the earliest professors at the University, Professor John Henry Poynting. The nicknames Old Joe, Tall Joe, or simply The Clock Tower are used by the student population and local residents.A prominent landmark in Birmingham, the grade II listed tower can be seen for miles around the campus, and has become synonymous with the University itself.