Carfax Tower, Oxford

Carfax is where the four principal roads of Oxford meet. This 13th-century tower is all that now remains of the former town church of Oxford: St Martin's. The church became unsafe and was demolished in 1820, and then rebuilt and demolished again in 1896 as part of a road-widening scheme. The tower was actually 20 feet taller than we see it today, but because townspeople once amused themselves by throwing small coins at students from the top of the tower, the university authorities had it lowered. The two quarter jacks no longer strike the quarter hours, although visitors can often be seen patiently waiting for the clock to reach the appointed time!