The St. Pancras Station Clock
Few clocks in Britain carry such romance and drama as the great clock of St. Pancras Station. Like Big Ben, it was the work of Edward John Dent’s firm, the official clockmaker of Victorian London. Installed in 1868, it commanded the terminus with its 16-foot dial and was a symbol of the age of steam, precision and progress.
St. Pancras Clock Quick Facts
- Clockmaker: Edward John Dent’s firm
- Installation: 1868 for St. Pancras Station
- Dial size: 16 feet (4.9 m) across
- Original fate: Removed in the 1970s, rescued by Roland Hoggard
- Hoggard’s story: Installed in his Nottingham garden, later smashed by accident
- Restoration: Recreated by Dent in 2007
- Current location: Above the concourse at St. Pancras International Station
The Dent Commission
Following the triumph of the Great Clock of Westminster, Dent was the natural choice for St. Pancras. The Midland Railway required a monumental station clock that could be read across William Barlow’s soaring train shed. Dent delivered: a vast dial that became part of London’s skyline, paired with his reputation for accuracy and authority.
The Roland Hoggard Story
When British Rail decided in the 1970s to demolish parts of the station and replace the clock, the original Dent dial was removed. In a now-legendary act of salvage, railway worker Roland Hoggard took the clock face to his Nottingham garden. For decades it stood there, weathering storms, until it was damaged by a football and shattered in the late 1990s. For years, shards of the original Dent St. Pancras clock lay in his shed — a relic of Victorian horology saved from destruction by sheer stubbornness until his death at which point the clock remains were donated to The Museum of Timekeeping.
Restoration and Return
When St. Pancras was restored in 2007, Dent was once again called upon. Using original drawings and fragments from Hoggard’s rescued dial, the firm created a faithful recreation of the original station clock. Today, the restored Dent clock hangs proudly above the concourse, linking modern travellers to the golden age of rail and to the legacy of Edward John Dent.
The story of St. Pancras is not just one of architecture and trains. It is the story of a clockmaker whose name appears on London’s greatest landmarks, and of a railwayman who refused to let history be lost. Together, they ensured that the Dent clock of St. Pancras remains an icon of the city.
The St. Pancras clock is one chapter in our story. See how Dent London’s heritage connects Big Ben, St. Pancras, and our modern Marriott Hotels partnership in the Dent London Timeline.
Dent London & St. Pancras Timeline
1868 — St. Pancras Station Clock
Dent built the monumental clock for St. Pancras Station.
2007 — Restoration of St. Pancras Clock
Dent recreated the station clock for the reopening of St. Pancras International.
2025 — Partnership with Marriott Hotels St. Pancras London
Dent London partnered with Marriott Hotels at St. Pancras to celebrate the station’s clockmaking legacy.
View the complete Dent London Timeline
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Frequently Asked Questions About the St. Pancras Clock
Who built the St. Pancras Station clock?
The original St. Pancras Station clock was built in 1868 by Edward John Dent’s firm, the same makers of Big Ben. It was designed to be read across the massive Barlow train shed, showcasing Dent’s reputation for precision and scale.
What happened to the original St. Pancras clock?
In the 1970s, British Rail removed the original Dent clock during station alterations. It was saved from destruction by railway worker Roland Hoggard, who installed it in his Nottingham garden. Years later, it was accidentally smashed by a football.
Who was Roland Hoggard?
Roland Hoggard was a British Rail worker who rescued the original Dent clock from St. Pancras. He transported it to his garden, where it stood for years until damaged. Fragments of the clock later helped Dent recreate the restored clock in 2007.
When was the St. Pancras clock restored?
In 2007, as part of the station’s restoration, Dent London recreated the clock using original drawings and fragments preserved by Roland Hoggard. The new clock now hangs proudly above the concourse.