I’m a big fan of urban exploration. I heard about it years ago on some documentary, and since then I’ve kept a keen eye on the internet for new and exciting locations. I can’t help it… every time I find something out of the ordinary, it gets me excited; it makes me want to get up, put some clothes on, and actually go explore the city. Amazing!
Today’s awesome urban exploration spot is The Palace Hotel Clocktower in Manchester. It’s old – having been built by Alfred Waterhouse for the Refuge Assurance Company in 1891 – and it’s still absolutely beautiful, and also… very, very climbable.
Urban Exploration of The Palace Hotel in Manchester
Isn’t that a beauty? If you’re planning to take a trip to the UK, perhaps you can book a suite right near this place, or in the Palace Hotel itself! It’s easy to find hotels in Manchester here. After that, you’ll be all set to, you know… look up at the tower longingly, and wish that you were the people who took these awesome photos.
I can’t say why exactly, but I really like the look of spiral staircases. They have a certain aesthetic to them that looks timeless to me. If I ever own a large house, this is one of the first things I’m going to have installed.
Interesting how someone decided to use the top of a clocktower as a place to store odds and ends. I feel like there are better places to store things that at the top of a talk tower, with only a narrow spiral staircase leading up to it. Call me crazy.
If this were taken during the Second World War, perhaps we would see a sniper lining up a shot. I’ve associated tall towers and snipers since I first watched Saving Private Ryan so very many years ago.
Here’s a closer look at the equipment that actually runs the clock. If I’m going to continue making comparisons here, it reminds me of a certain scene from the hit television series Lost. That’s all I’ll say.
I’m getting a serious Assassin’s Creed vibe here. The assassins like clock towers too, right? Makes sense to me.
Though I don’t recommend anyone actually do this, if you do ever happen to be climbing up high, please make sure to be well versed in safety, and safety equipment. You don’t want to be like this “Daredevil” climber who plummeted to his death, and he was from Manchester no less. Safety first people.
We finish off this segment with a beautiful view from the top of the Palace Hotel clocktower. Whether you’re climbing a mountain, or climbing a million stairs to the top of an old clocktower, it may be a lot of work, but the experience is almost always worth the effort.
[Photos by Syndicells]
