It really is a thing of beauty. A Gothic Revival building with more than just a hint of the High Victorian, Manchester’s Town Hall dominates Albert Square and it does so with grace and style. Competed in 1877, this has been the centre of local government ever since, and many great figures are commemorated throughout, but it is the sheer jaw-dropping majesty of the exterior that really excites. The clock tower is its most striking feature, a 280 feet tall tower that warns against ignoring time and letting lives slide by. You can’t ignore Manchester Town Hall — not that you’d ever want to.