The Clock Tower — Attraction in St Albans

Arrrghhh... Sometimes the Clock Tower is open and you can climb the stairs to the top for £1. It's terrifying. Very vertiginous.

I got up about 5 steps then had to go back down and leave the children to carry on to the top by themselves. 'What's the worst thing that could happen?' I thought, the sensible one was nearly 7 years old then after all and more than capable of looking after the other 3 (or was it 4?). Off they went, running gaily up the 93, steep and narrow stone steps, undoubtedly to see who could reach the top of the tower first and then who could lean furthest over the edge. Competitive.

Anyway, the lady who sold the tickets was nice and offered me my £1 back, which I declined, I went across to the nearby tremendous pub: The Boot, to calm my nerves for a few hours.

I completely forgot about the children. They're probably...

The Clock Tower was built between 1403 and 1412, and is believed to have been completed in 1405. It has been claimed to be the only remaining medieval town belfry in England. Its construction has been seen as a protest against the power of the local abbey to regulate time-keeping in the town. The Tower was built close to the site of the Eleanor cross. Twelve Eleanor crosses were constructed throughout eastern England under the orders of King Edward I between 1291 and 1294 in memory of his wife Eleanor of Castile. The site of each cross marks the nightly resting place of Eleanor's funeral procession. Unfortunately, it was shut on the...

We were very lucky to be up the clock tower at an exact hour and I was very impressed. If you like history, if you like to see how things work and how they used to work, you will love this just as much as I did. It's only £2/person and you get to also enjoy the top view from the tower. The way up is narrow and quite steep but so worth it. The two gentlemen volunteering at the entrance were so nice and I will definitely visit again. If you are happy with your experience, at the end you can make a very much appreciated donation towards keeping the tower open for the public. Strongly...