THIS week Down Memory Lane goes back 40 years to 1971 to see the development of the Garrison Estate in Purfleet and concerns about the preservation of some of the historic structures still left over from its military use.

Local historian F. Z. Claro, who ran a series of local history articles in the Thurrock Gazette for many years, featured the concern over the Garrison Clock Tower at the time – as the council was in the process of purchasing the redundant Royal Gunpowder Magazines at Purfleet to develop a new housing estate.

Although the Magazines had been approved in 1760, it was not until May 1769 that the officers at Purfleet recommended to the Board of Ordnance that a public clock would be useful – timing in the magazine was carried out with a two-hour sand glass up to this date.

I assume this was to get the local workers in on time to carry out various duties of moving barrels of gunpowder to and from magazines to barges and Royal Navy ships.

A London clock maker, Aynsworth Thwaites, of Clerkenwell, was commissioned to make an eight-day quarter clock – which he completed three years later!

A suggested maintenance agreement by the clock maker to oil and clean the clock for £8 a year was not acceptable to the Government purse who recommended a price of £6 a year.

This was finally settled by both parties to 6 guineas a year! (£6 and 6 shillings).

Thankfully today the clock tower is still a visible reminder to the unique military history of Purfleet and when reopened in the New Year a visit to the Purfleet Heritage Centre will take you back in time to discover much more about Purfleet.

Our featured photograph is from 1971.