Atlas Obscura · People & society

The Ivanhoe Clock: A Victorian Spectacle in Leeds

An unusual clock featuring four life-sized Victorian characters striking a bell marks the time in Thornton's Arcade, Leeds.

Installed in 1877, the clock was made by Leeds clockmakers William Potts & Sons, with figures sculpted by John Wormald Appleyard. The characters—Robin Hood, Friar Tuck, Richard the Lionheart, and Gurth the Swineherd—are inspired by Sir Walter Scott's novel Ivanhoe.

Richard the Lionheart and Friar Tuck strike the hours, while Robin Hood and Gurth mark the quarters. The clock uses five bells for its soundtrack. The figures are technically faux jacquemarts, meaning they appear to strike a bell, but the actual bells are operated internally.

Thornton's Arcade, which opened in 1878 as Leeds's first purpose-built shopping arcade, features ornate architecture and independent shops, with the eccentric clock adding to its charm.

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