 The tower is based on the ancient and smaller Tower of the Winds in Athens, Greece, built c.100–50BC by Andronicus of Cyrrhus for the purpose of measuring time.It is of octagonal stone construction, with eight relief images of Greek mythological wind gods at the top of each side of the tower, carved by John Bacon the Elder in 1792–4.The tower was completed by James Wyatt in 1794.