AHS London Lecture Series 2026: Mark Crangle

What has 25,000 plants and cuckoos? When horticulture meets horology – the growth of the floral clock

by Mark Crangle

The iconic Edinburgh and kiss-me-quick Blackpool, both are home to a floral clock. What started off as a bit of a folly, a curiosity, quickly became a United Kingdom institution, a holiday icon or a childhood treasured memory.

Mark will talk about the origins of the floral clock, through its heyday to its demise. Many of the clocks have now been removed, but there are still some wonderful examples in use today, in all corners of the globe. Join us for a horticultural horological journey.

Mark Crangle has worked at the Cumbria Clock Company since 2004. In November 2024, he gave the AHS London lecture ‘Scottish Knocks: The Story of Scottish Turret Clock Manufacture’.

Doors open: 5.45 pm. Tea and coffee available on arrival.
Lecture: 6.15 pm to 7.15 pm.
Q&A: 7.15 pm to 7.30 pm.
Drinks reception: 7.30 pm to 8.15 pm.