The Albert Memorial Clock is one of Belfast's best loved landmarks and is affectionately known as the city's very own 'leaning tower'. Standing 35 metres high and constructed mainly of sandstone, it was built on wooden piles on reclaimed, marshy land around the River Farset. Over the years subsidence at its foundations has caused the clock to adopt a lean of 1.25 metres from vertical. This situation caused at least one Belfast wit to comment that the Albert Clock..." has both the time and the inclination".

The Albert Memorial Clock was built as a memorial to Queen Victoria's husband, Prince Albert, who died in 1861. The construction cost of £2,500 was raised by public subscription. Work on the structure commenced in 1865 and was completed in 1869.

The clock was the result of a competition, which was won by the local architect, W.j. Barre. He also designed the Ulster Hall on Bedford Street. Stylistically, it is described as an eclectic mix of Early French and Italian Gothic. A full length statue by SF Lynn of Prince Albert in the robes of a Knight of the Garter stands on the western side of the tower facing High Street, while a base of flying buttresses topped off with crowned lions holding shields and floral decoration surround the tower. The clock is of a similar construction to 'Big Ben' in London and was made by Francis Moore of High Street. A twc tonne bell is housed inside.

To halt the worsening lean and repair damage caused by theelements and heavy passing traffic, a multi-million pound restoration project was completed in 2002. During the project the wooden foundations were strengthened, the majority of the decaying carvings were replaced and the entire building was cleaned.

The clock has been the centrepiece of many historical events - one enterprising young lad is said to have scaled its very summit in order to get a better view of the launch of RMS Titanic from the Harland & Wolff shipyard in 1912.

Visit the Belfast Welcome Centre, at 47 Donegall Place, near the City Hall, for details on places of interest, tours and what's on in Belfast and Northern Ireland.