When I took early retirement from my job as a librarian, I knew I had to look for some regular volunteering opportunities to not only give structure to my day, but also to help me learn more about Loughborough, and to socialise with like-minded people.
I first visited the Bellfoundry way back in the late 1980s, and had visited again in 2017 as an Honorary member of the Loughborough Library Local Studies Volunteer Group. I also worked with the Bellfoundry for Heritage Open Days in 2019, when I led a guided walk from the Carillon to the Bellfoundry, via the parish church.
However, it wasn’t until 2022 that I took the plunge and became a volunteer, initially working with MASS Collective, and a group of eleven other volunteers on a photography project to document the progress of the exciting changes that were happening. Very soon after, I became an assistant tour guide, and then a behind-the-scenes-at-the-museum volunteer!
And so it is a great honour, and with great pleasure, that in celebration of my own blog’s 13th birthday, the staff of the Bellfoundry Trust (Taryn and Thomas) have written a short history of the bellfoundry.
Prepare to be surprised – and invited to visit or become a volunteer!!
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The UK's Last Great Bellfoundry:
Preserving Loughborough's Living Heritage
In a seemingly unsuspecting housing estate on the edge of Loughborough sits the UK’s last remaining major Bellfoundry, John Taylor and Co. Starting back in 1759 with Robert Taylor in St Neots completing his bellfounding apprenticeship, this family-run Bellfoundry is full of history that is still being made today.
The buildings that stand today were purpose-built in the 1850s by John William Taylor I. Unfortunately, he was never to see it completed, as he died in 1858, just one year before it was finished in 1859.
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| Loughborough Bellfoundry - Works 1870 |
The foundry was successful during the Victorian era, with the peak being the casting of ‘Great Paul’ for St Paul’s Cathedral. The 16.5-ton bell was transported from Loughborough to London by traction engine, through villages.
The family business was passed down generations from father to son, from brother to brother. During the First World War, with most of the men off fighting, women took over! Known as the ‘Shells Girls’, they fulfilled the orders, manufacturing shell castings for the war effort. The Taylor family lost three sons to WWI: John “Jack” William Taylor 1885-1916, Gerard “Jerry” Bardsley Taylor 1886-1918 and Arnold Bradley Taylor 1894-1916.
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| Taylor staff - Group photograph of munitions girls with shell cases, men and managers with John Oldham centre, 1917 |
In 1923 the Loughborough Carillon was built: Taylor’s cast 47 bells for this musical instrument that is still played today, every Thursday at 1pm and on special occasions. [1]
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| The 47 bells of the Loughborough Carillon in the foundry |
With WWII came some deviation of production at Taylor’s, including aircraft components and tank turrets. Alongside casting another great bell, ‘Great George’ of Liverpool in 1940. [2]
Paul Taylor was the last member of the Taylor family to run the company. During his time at the helm, the foundry secured major international commissions, including the 53-bell carillons for Washington National Cathedral in the United States and Canberra in Australia. He also introduced new audiences to bellfounding through appearances on the American television programme What's My Line?, which aired on 15 September 1963, [3] and the BBC's Other People's Jobs, aired on 19 January 1956. [4]
When Paul retired in 1977, a board of directors was established, as there was no Taylor family heir who wished to take over the business. Alan Berry was appointed General Manager and guided the company through the 1980s. During this period, Taylor's supplied the one-ton bell used by AC/DC for their hit single Hells Bells, with the famous bell recording made at the foundry. In 1986, the Taylor's Bellfoundry Museum was established to preserve and share the history of the Taylor family, the foundry and the tradition of bellringing. Paul died in 1981 at the age of 67, and some of our volunteers still remember him and his children from the local area.
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| Paul Taylor, date unknown |
In more recent years the Bellfoundry merged with bellhangers Eayre & Smith Ltd in 2005, and in 2009, Taylor’s went into administration facing potential closure. This galvanised a group of bellringers to pool their resources and create the UK Bell Foundries Ltd. to enable Taylor’s to continue business.
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| A small Taylor, Eayre, and Smith rug |
In 2016 the board of directors created the Loughborough Bellfoundry Trust with the aim to conserve the rich history of the Bellfoundry. The Trust is responsible for the preservation of the site, including the archives, museum, factory and foundry.
In 2019, the Trust secured funding to enable the regeneration and restoration of the foundry site, museum and archives. The archives at Taylor’s date back to the very start, holding details of over 10,000 church towers. The archive is still regularly used today, with enquiries coming in from all over the world. It was formally reopened in 2024.
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| The striking new bellfoundry entrance |
The Loughborough Bellfoundry Trust not only helps to preserve this historic site but also celebrates its heritage by offering public and private tours. These provide a unique opportunity to explore the inner workings of the United Kingdom's last remaining bellfoundry and discover the centuries-old craft of bellfounding.
The Trust is supported by a dedicated team of volunteers who contribute in a variety of ways. Some work front-of-house, welcoming and engaging with visitors, while others lead tours around the historic factory. Tour support volunteers help ensure visitors have a safe and enjoyable experience, acting as a helpful presence throughout the site. We also offer opportunities to work with our wonderful archivist, Chris, helping to care for and explore the Bellfoundry’s extensive archive collection.
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| The archive during relocation 2024 |
If you are interested in volunteering with us, we would be delighted to hear from you. Please get in touch to find out more about the opportunities available. https://belltrust.co.uk/volunteers/
Visitors to the refurbished Bellfoundry Museum
In 2026 the
Trust worked in collaboration with Charnwood Arts on a Digital installation for
the museum, whch is an interactive timeline of the Taylor’s family and their
bellfounding.
If you would
like to see where bells are made, please come and visit us!
Tours can be booked online at Belltrust.co.uk
And don’t forget to book a visit to the Bellfoundry during the Heritage Open Days event [5], when you will be able to meet the Master Bellfounder, and experience a behind-the-scenes tour of this historic factory!
We look forward to welcoming you!
(T&T)
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Notes
[1] You can find out more about the Carillon and the recitals on the Charnwood Borough Council website - https://www.charnwood.gov.uk/pages/loughborough_carillon_tower
[2] Liverpool’s Great George is a little lighter than London’s Great Paul, coming in at only 14.5 tons
[3] This was as a result of Paul Taylor being in the United States of America for the dedication of the Washington National Cathedral carillon's 53 bells.
[4] You can
read about the carillon in St Peter’s Episcopal church in New Jersey on a
blogpost from 2014!
[5] For a list of all the Heritage Open Day events that are taking place in Loughborough during the week leading up to, and during the weekend of 19-20 September, pop over to the Heritage Open Days website.
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Posted by lynneaboutloughborough
With apologies for
typos which are all mine!
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Dyer, Lynne (2026). The UK's Last Great Bellfoundry: Preserving Loughborough's Living Heritage. Available from: https://lynneaboutloughborough.blogspot.com/2026/08/the-uks-last-great-bellfoundry.html [Accessed 16 August 2026]
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