Albert Memorial Clock
On Gingerguide's self-guided Belfast audio tour, Albert Memorial Clock is a stop worth about ~20 min. Stand in front of it, press play for a short narrated story, and put any follow-up question to the built-in AI guide.
- Type monument
- Suggested visit ~20 min
- Belfast Belfast guide
About Albert Memorial Clock
Belfast's beloved leaning clock tower built in 1869 to commemorate Prince Albert, tilting 1.25 metres from vertical due to its waterlogged foundations on the filled-in River Farset.
The Albert Memorial Clock stands at the junction of High Street and Queen's Square, where the old River Farset once flowed openly through the heart of Belfast before being culverted underground. Built between 1865 and 1869 to a design by Belfast architect W.J. Barre, the 34.7-metre Gothic clock tower commemorates Prince Albert, Queen Victoria's consort, who died in 1861. Four clock faces, one on each side of the tower, gave Belfast's Victorian working population an unmissable reminder of the time, though the tower itself is never entirely punctual in its posture: it leans approximately 1.25 metres from the vertical, a consequence of the soft, waterlogged ground on which it was built. Belfast's industrial city sits on tidal mudflats and alluvial deposits, and the Albert Clock's foundations have been sinking unevenly since almost the day of its completion. A major restoration programme in 2002-2003 stabilised the foundations and restored the ornamental stonework. The Clock Tower is a cherished Belfast landmark, nicknamed by locals in the Victorian era for various colourful reasons that reflected the area's less reputable reputation at the time.
Did you know? The Albert Memorial Clock leans approximately 1.25 metres from vertical, the result of its foundations sinking into the soft waterlogged ground where the River Farset once flowed.
How much time do you need at Albert Memorial Clock?
Around ~20 min works well for Albert Memorial Clock — time to look properly and listen to its story on the spot. Linger if you like; nothing on a self-guided walk is on a clock.
Should you stop at Albert Memorial Clock?
Yes — Albert Memorial Clock made the cut as one of 22 places the Gingerguide team researched and narrated across Belfast. The story tells you why it is worth the stop, and the AI guide fills in anything you still wonder.
Nearby stops in Belfast
Hear the story of Albert Memorial Clock
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