*Location:

   Carillon tower
   Taylor Bell Foundry
   Freehold Street
   Loughborough, Leicestershire, England
   OS Ref. SK 541 198
   LL: N 52.77337, W 1.19933

Site locator map
City locator maps and gazetteer page

*Carillonist:

   (None; instrument in transition)

*Contact:

   John Taylor & Co.
   The Bellfoundry
   Freehold Street
   Loughborough, Leics.  LE11 1AR
   T: 01509 212241   F: 01509 263305
   E: office@taylorbells.co.uk

*Schedule:

   (unknown)

*Remarks:

   Not to be confused with the tower
   holding a light ring of 12,
   where many peals have been rung.
   Initial bells cast 1904-06; keyboard
   (now in museum) made in Mechelen but
   bears Taylor nameplate. Diatonic octave
   on the bourdon were borrowed by W.W.
   Starmer in 1904-08 for lectures around
   the country; they were also part of a
   'Pageant' at Oxford, with a temporary
   clavier played by Billinghurst.
   3 basses added in 1912.  Some bells
   added or replaced from time to time
   up to 1935; maximum size 49 bells.
   Removed prior to 1940;
   bells sold off piecemeal.
   2010: Replacement begun, not yet
   complete.  (A 2012 report of expansion to
   37 seems to have been premature.)
   2021: 15-bell chime is being dispersed;
   the foundry has committed to
   reconstructing the carillon to (one of)
   its original specifications; to include
   some basses from two redundant chimes.
   Aug.2022: Currently 16 bells with
   electric action.  A redevelopment plan
   for the foundry property has been
   approved, and the new main entrance
   will be nearby.

*Technical data:

   Traditional carillon of 47 bells
   Pitch of heaviest bell is D  in the middle octave
   Keyboard range:     ----  /    ----  
   Transposition is unknown
   There are two missing bass semitones
   There is no practice console
   The instrument was enlarged in 2024
     with bells made by Taylor       
   Prior history:
     In 2012, the instrument was enlarged to 27 bells
       by Taylor      
       Pitch of heaviest bell was unknown
     In 20xx, the instrument was begun with 18 bells
       by Taylor      
     In 19__, the instrument was enlarged to 49 bells
       by Taylor      
       (0 bells remain from that work.)
     In 1912, the instrument was enlarged to 40 bells
       by Taylor      
       (0 bells remain from that work.)
       Pitch of heaviest bell was G# in the middle octave
       Keyboard range was:     C E   /    C --  
       Transposition was up  8 semitone(s), i.e., from C to G#
       There was one missing bass semitone
     In 1906, the instrument was begun with 37 bells
       by Taylor      
       (0 bells remain from that work.)
       Pitch of heaviest bell was C  in the treble octave
       Keyboard range was:     C C   /    C C 13
       Transposition was up one octave
       There were no missing bass semitones
   No auxiliary mechanisms known
   Tower details not available
   Year of latest technical information source is 2022

The foundry Website
Undated article regarding status of the foundry carillon, work on which is halted pending restoration of the tower itself, which is part of a much larger project to restore much of the foundry structure.
Undated article with news of recovery of the old garden propery; includes a photo of the carillon tower (though since the photo, weeds have grown up shoulder high).
Undated article on restoration work, which has since been completed.
Undated article on the history of the early carillon before the largest bells were eventually installed.

Where the initial phase of this work lies in the sequence of output of the Taylor bellfoundry, in this region and in the world.
Where the second phase of this work lies in the sequence of output of the Taylor bellfoundry, in this region and in the world.
Where the third phase of this work lies in the sequence of output of the Taylor bellfoundry, in this region and in the world.
Where the fourth phase of this work lies in the sequence of output of the Taylor bellfoundry, in this region and in the world.
Where the fifth phase of this work lies in the sequence of output of the Taylor bellfoundry, in this region and in the world.
Where the final phase of this work lies in the sequence of output of the Taylor bellfoundry, in this region and in the world.

Ranking among all British Isles traditional carillons by pitch (weight).
Ranking among all British Isles traditional carillons by size (number of bells).
Ranking among all British Isles traditional carillons by year of completion.

Index to all tower bell instruments in England.

   This page was built from the database on 14-Oct-24
   based on textual data last updated on 2024/02/09
   and on technical data last updated on 2023/05/12