Birch Memorial Clock Tower, Ipoh

Birch Memorial Clock Tower, Ipoh (1 October 2022)


Birch Memorial Clock Tower (GPS: 4.59686, 101.0762) is a heritage clock tower and monument in Ipoh, Perak. It is located off Jalan Dato Sagor (formerly known as Post Office Road). It was built to commemorate JWW Birch, the first British Resident to Perak who was assassinated by Dato' Maharaja Lela (read also Pasir Salak and Ngah Ibrahim Fort) and Dato Sagor. It is no coincidence that the memorial is sandwiched between roads that have been renamed Jalan Dato Maharajalela and Jalan Dato Sagor.

I have earlier incorrectly mentioned that the Birch Memorial Clock Tower was erected in honour of E.W. Birch. Instead it was E.W. Birch, who was the son of the late JWW Birch, and who also became the British Resident of Perak from 1905-1909, who spearheaded the project to build the clocktower monument to remember his father. The younger Birth was a popular administrator who helped drive the economy of Kinta and Penang, and after whom Birch House in Penang was named. The monument was erected by the people of Ipoh who pooled together the funds amounting to $25,000.

The Birch Memorial was completed in 1909. It consists of a clocktower, with one mother bell weighing 10 cwt, and four smaller bells weighing together 10 cwt. On the four corners of the belfry are sculptured figures representing the "Virtues of the British Administration" - Loyalty, with sword and shield, Justice, blind and carrying a sword and a pair of scales, Patience, unarmed, and Fortitude, bearing a spear. Further down the tower are illustrated panels showing 44 famous figures of the world.

Birch Memorial is on the Map of Ipoh Old Town

Grand staircase towards Birch Memorial Clock Tower, Ipoh (1 October 2022)


Birch Memorial, Ipoh (19 August, 2006)


Birch Memorial, Ipoh (19 August, 2006)

360° View of Birch Memorial on Google Street View

List of Clocktowers in Perak and Clocktowers in Malaysia

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About this website

Dear visitor, thank you so much for reading this page. My name is Timothy Tye and my hobby is to find out about places, write about them and share the information with you on this website. I have been writing this site since 5 January 2003. Originally (from 2003 until 2009, the site was called AsiaExplorers. I changed the name to Penang Travel Tips in 2009, even though I describe more than just Penang but everywhere I go (I often need to tell people that "Penang Travel Tips" is not just information about Penang, but information written in Penang), especially places in Malaysia and Singapore, and in all the years since 2003, I have described over 20,000 places.

While I try my best to provide you information as accurate as I can get it to be, I do apologize for any errors and for outdated information which I am unaware. Nevertheless, I hope that what I have described here will be useful to you.

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