Page 38 - Oundle Life December 2023

expected to get the
necessary permissions,
so the casting didn’t
happen until this year.
John Taylor and Co
of Loughborough cast
the new bell on 21
September 2022. A
group of bell ringers and
villagers went to see the
casting and to have a very interesting tour of the foundry.
Taylor’s is the last bell foundry in the Country and the world’s largest. The business originated in the 14th century, and the Taylor family took over in 1784. Among the many bells it has
cast is ‘Great Paul’ (the largest British cast bell in Britain) for St Paul’s Cathedral in London, weighing 17,002 kilograms (37,483 lb) or more than 17 metric tons. The foundry is one of the few Victorian purpose-built manufacturing sites still being used for its original purpose. It is currently undergoing a major refurbishment, funded through the National Lottery Heritage Fund, to restore and develop the premises. It also has a museum of bells and bell founding, which can be visited for tours – currently closed
as part of the refurbishment but expected to reopen in 2024.
Bell ringing is a traditional skill that anyone can do, as it just requires some co-ordination. Ringers come from all walks of life and
range from aged 10, through teenage years, universities, to those in their 80’s.
Hilary Hardie, Nassington Tower Captain, Chair, Peterborough Branch of the Guild of Bell Ringers
If anyone is interested in learning to ring, please contact Hilary Hardie, 01780 783855, or hilary.hardie@btinternet.com. More information can be found on https://cccbr.org.uk/bellringing/learn/
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