Directions on how to find the Clock Tower and Sopwell Nunnery can be found on our map page.

The Clock Tower and Eleanor Cross

The site of the cross lies opposite Waxhouse Gate, one of the entrances to the medieval Abbey. In 1290, the funeral procession of Queen Eleanor, wife of Edward I rested here on its slow journey to Westminster. Neglected, the cross was pulled down in 1703 to be replaced by the town pump. Later, in 1874 a fountain was put in its place. This is now in Victoria Place, where the gaol used to be.

Behind the cross and built between 1403 and 1412, is the Clock Tower, the only medieval example in the country. From the beginning it had a mechanical clock, a great rarity at that time. As the Abbey also had one, this was probably the reason for having the same. Indeed, the Clock Tower itself seems to have been intended as a visible statement of St. Albans' civic ambitions against the power of the Abbot. It was both a look out as well as a curfew, ringing out the times when people had to be indoors "covering the fire".

From 1808-1814 during the Napoleonic war, it was used by the Admiralty as a semaphore station. This was operated by a shutter system and could help relay a message to or from Yarmouth in 5 minutes.

By the 1860's the Tower was in a bad way and was nearly demolished. The restoration in 1864 was supervised by Sir Gilbert Scott. In 2004, the roof was rebuilt with improved public safety and access. It is planned to re-display the exhibition in the near future.

This romantic ruin is all that remains of the Tudor mansion built around 1560 by Sir Richard Lee, a soldier and royal engineer, granted the land by Henry VIII in 1540. Lee's first house was built on top of the medieval nunnery, which itself dated back to 1140. It had been founded by the then abbot of St. Albans, Geoffrey de Gorham.

The new mansion followed the monastic plan, using the church for the hall and the cloisters became the courtyard. He even had the then London Road diverted away from the house. At the end of his life, it seems that he started a radical remodeling of the house to make it more fashionable and to add formal gardens.

Sir Richard Lee died in 1575. Whether his son continued with the work is not known because it was never completed. Later the Grimstons of Gorhambury took away materials to use in their own house.