There's a church in chesterfield, England that's well known because the spire has deformed into a full corkscrew. There's a lot of folklore surrounding it. It's just called "The Crooked Spire", many businesses are named after it.
My dad’s a Chesterfield man. When we went up to Chesterfield to see his mam, I always insisted we went through the town centre just to see the crooked spire.
Yeah I've lived here all my life and quite often if you're walking past you'll see visitors taking pictures of it. Also a pair of Peregrine Falcons have been coming back for years to nest on the Spire and there are some awesome shots from local enthusiasts
I knew that but then again, I live in Montreal. They really should have mentioned that it’s part of the Olympic Stadium and meant to hold up the then retractable roof, which has been replaced since. So the cables you see in the picture aren’t there to help the tower stand. On the contrary, the roof pulls down on the tower with these cables as the tower holds up the roof. You can go to the top of the tower to get one of the best views of the city.
@@jordanberndt4157 It is! though it has been closed for a lot of the pandemic. You ride a panoramic funicular elevator to the top and then there's an observation deck. It's pretty cool actually!
I've been to that church in Suurhusen when I picked up my mum from medical rehab and we did a sightseeing tour from Norden to Emden. The tower was added to the 13th century church in the mid 15th century and to protect it from sinking in the boggy ground they put huge oak logs under it to distribute the weight. All went well for ages until in the 19th century the farmers drained the ground water so much that the oak logs weren't protected by the low-oxygen bog water anymore and began to rot. My mum also told me about a regional tale that she heard one evening in the clinic. One day that tower will miraculously upright all by itself when something specific happens, but I can't remember what. But I remember a tale about a nearby church directly on the shore and how it came to have two towers. As the legend goes it was built when some earl sailed away on a long journey while his wife was only a few days away from giving birth. He had to go immediately but he was so anxious to find out if he finally has a male heir that he ordered that if it's a boy the tower should be built on the northern side of the portal and for a girl on the southern side. When he returned the second they were in eyesight of the shore he ordered his lookout to tell him how the bell tower was positioned. Allegedly he fainted when he heard that there were two towers. For his wife was blessed with twins, a boy and a girl.
There is a leaning church tower in Bristol, England. The church was built on foundations using sacks of wool, using money raised by wool merchants. The sacks became waterlogged and caused the tower to lean. At least according to either my mother or one of my primary school teachers. I know I was only about 5 or 6 when I learned this but I can't remember exactly who told me.
Pisa was saved by John Burland of Imperial College London who worked out how to use many augers to remove many tiny amounts of soil from underneath the higher side of the tower. It eased back a bit more upright. He received high honour from Italy for taking the responsibilty for tilting it back a small amount but sufficient to last 300 years..by when better rescues may be invented. Weights and cables were not the solution (Sandi was misinformed).
I actually wondered at the beginning if they'd bring up the Leaning Tower of Niles, and say that it leans more than the original. (I have no idea if it does or not, but that would be kind of a neat fact if so.) I used to drive by it all the time, although I doubt the QI research elves would have come across it. I completely agree with you: it's such a random thing in such a random place.
The Beeb still can't, quite, work out how to 'cope' with a blind person on their panel shows. They did better in this ep where Sandi did, once, describe what everyone else was looking at.
There's a church in chesterfield, England that's well known because the spire has deformed into a full corkscrew. There's a lot of folklore surrounding it. It's just called "The Crooked Spire", many businesses are named after it.
The football team is called the Spirites too :)
My dad’s a Chesterfield man. When we went up to Chesterfield to see his mam, I always insisted we went through the town centre just to see the crooked spire.
Yeah I've lived here all my life and quite often if you're walking past you'll see visitors taking pictures of it. Also a pair of Peregrine Falcons have been coming back for years to nest on the Spire and there are some awesome shots from local enthusiasts
I knew that but then again, I live in Montreal. They really should have mentioned that it’s part of the Olympic Stadium and meant to hold up the then retractable roof, which has been replaced since.
So the cables you see in the picture aren’t there to help the tower stand. On the contrary, the roof pulls down on the tower with these cables as the tower holds up the roof.
You can go to the top of the tower to get one of the best views of the city.
Wait is the tower actually open to visitors? I've lived in Montreal 7 years and have never gone to the top
@@jordanberndt4157 It is! though it has been closed for a lot of the pandemic. You ride a panoramic funicular elevator to the top and then there's an observation deck. It's pretty cool actually!
QI, the only quiz show I know where a wrong answer will both get you a round of applause and is encouraged by the host.
There are other shows where that would happen
@@Vaginaninja And Alex clearly doesn’t know them.
I've been to that church in Suurhusen when I picked up my mum from medical rehab and we did a sightseeing tour from Norden to Emden.
The tower was added to the 13th century church in the mid 15th century and to protect it from sinking in the boggy ground they put huge oak logs under it to distribute the weight. All went well for ages until in the 19th century the farmers drained the ground water so much that the oak logs weren't protected by the low-oxygen bog water anymore and began to rot.
My mum also told me about a regional tale that she heard one evening in the clinic. One day that tower will miraculously upright all by itself when something specific happens, but I can't remember what.
But I remember a tale about a nearby church directly on the shore and how it came to have two towers. As the legend goes it was built when some earl sailed away on a long journey while his wife was only a few days away from giving birth. He had to go immediately but he was so anxious to find out if he finally has a male heir that he ordered that if it's a boy the tower should be built on the northern side of the portal and for a girl on the southern side.
When he returned the second they were in eyesight of the shore he ordered his lookout to tell him how the bell tower was positioned. Allegedly he fainted when he heard that there were two towers. For his wife was blessed with twins, a boy and a girl.
Cariad is absolutely gorgeous.
There is a leaning tower in Stavanger, Norway. However it is deliberate and is currently used for storage.
"I like the ones that are supposed to be straight" - Sandi Toksvig
There is a leaning church tower in Bristol, England. The church was built on foundations using sacks of wool, using money raised by wool merchants. The sacks became waterlogged and caused the tower to lean. At least according to either my mother or one of my primary school teachers. I know I was only about 5 or 6 when I learned this but I can't remember exactly who told me.
Temple Church
Pisa was saved by John Burland of Imperial College London who worked out how to use many augers to remove many tiny amounts of soil from underneath the higher side of the tower. It eased back a bit more upright. He received high honour from Italy for taking the responsibilty for tilting it back a small amount but sufficient to last 300 years..by when better rescues may be invented. Weights and cables were not the solution (Sandi was misinformed).
7 degrees? The Holland tunnel is 90! LOL.
You should see the towers in Bologna
Caerphilly Castle has a tower that leans at an angle of 10°
And a giant holding it up 😁
What's left of the tower of Bridgnorth Castle in Shropshire leans at 15 degrees
I used to work near the very random replica of the leaning tower of Pisa in Niles, IL. It wasn't badly done, but always the question....why?
I actually wondered at the beginning if they'd bring up the Leaning Tower of Niles, and say that it leans more than the original. (I have no idea if it does or not, but that would be kind of a neat fact if so.) I used to drive by it all the time, although I doubt the QI research elves would have come across it. I completely agree with you: it's such a random thing in such a random place.
Because it wasn't there
Pisa is a listed building.
Sandy likes the ones that are supposed to be straight. Who would have guessed?
The ones that are supposed to be straight but aren't :-) Caught that, too :)
San Francisco the millennium tower
The Beeb still can't, quite, work out how to 'cope' with a blind person on their panel shows.
They did better in this ep where Sandi did, once, describe what everyone else was looking at.
🤦🏻♂️
@@romainsavioz5466 🙈
Big Ben is the bell.
Not the tower nor the clock
Thanks for sharing. But please do look up 'Metonym'.
Watch ITV news at Ten in a thousand years times....here is the news....bong...bong....crasssshhh. 😱😁
That's the Montreal Olympic Stadium. Why show just the tower? Show the whole thing!
This used to be amusing but it's outworn its welcome.