Victoria Tower, Liverpool facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Victoria Tower
General information
Type	Clock Tower
Architectural style	Gothic Revival
Location	Liverpool
Coordinates	53°25′18″N 3°00′18″W / 53.42153°N 3.00495°W / 53.42153; -3.00495
Construction started	1847
Completed	1848
Design and construction
Architect	Jesse Hartley (based upon an earlier design by Philip Hardwick)

The Victoria Tower is a cool old clock tower in Liverpool, England. It's built in a style called Gothic Revival, which looks a bit like old castles. This tower stands right next to Salisbury Dock and used to help ships know the correct time. It even warned them about bad weather coming! It's also a Grade II listed building, which means it's an important historical site.

How the Tower Began

The Victoria Tower was designed by a person named Jesse Hartley. It was built between 1847 and 1848. The tower was created to celebrate the opening of Salisbury Dock. Its design was actually based on an earlier drawing from 1846 by Philip Hardwick.

People often called the Victoria Tower the 'docker's clock'. It was super helpful for ships in the port. Sailors could set their clocks correctly before heading out into the Irish Sea. The tower's bell also rang to warn about important weather changes, like high tide or fog. When it was first finished, the tower even had a flat inside for the Pier Master, who managed the dock.

In 1975, the tower was officially recognized as a Grade II listed building. This means it's a special building because of its history or unique design.

Victoria Tower Today

Over time, fewer ships started using the docks in Liverpool. Because of this, the Victoria Tower has become a bit run down. It has been damaged by water and wind. You can also see plants growing on it, and its roof leaks.

Even though it's not in perfect shape, the Victoria Tower is still an important part of the Stanley Dock Conservation Area. This area is protected because of its history. In 2010, the owners, Peel Holdings, announced plans to fix up the tower. The tower and the areas around it are also part of a huge plan called Liverpool Waters. This plan aims to bring new life to the docklands.

What the Tower Looks Like

Jesse Hartley got his ideas for the tower's design from old castles along the Rhine River in Central Europe. You can see this in the many small openings, called embrasures, cut into the tower walls. The tower is built from rough, grey granite blocks. This type of stone was used in many of Hartley's other building projects.

The Victoria Tower can be thought of in three main parts:

• The bottom part is round and gets narrower as it goes up. It has several arched spaces.
• The middle part is shaped like a hexagon (a six-sided shape). This is where the tower's six clocks are placed.
• The top part is the roof. It has an overhanging, castle-like wall called a 'castellated parapet'. This wall is held up by special supports called corbels.