Taylor's Bellfoundry, Loughborough

14/09/2026

Tom gets up close and personal with the moltern metal 🔥

12/09/2026

A fascinating piece about Giridhar Vadukar, John Taylor & Co’s Chief Bell Tuner, who has spent 47 years giving bells their voice – 30 of them at Taylor’s in Loughborough.

Giridhar is one of only three people left in the country with this highly specialised skill. It’s a remarkable craft, requiring an extraordinary ear and years of experience – and one that is increasingly difficult to pass on to the next generation.

A really interesting insight into a craft that very few people outside the bellfounding world ever get to see – and Giridhar is just one of the many talented people who make this such a special place.

Giridhar Vadukar is the chief tuner at John Taylor & Co in Loughborough, the last major bell foundry in Britain, and one of only three bell tuners left in the country. Forty-seven years tuning each bell's five notes by hand.

09/09/2026

🔔 LITTLE BROMLEY, ESSEX

St Mary’s Church at Little Bromley is a fascinating Grade II* listed building, dating from the 12th to the 16th centuries. Since being declared redundant in 1988, it has been cared for by the Churches Conservation Trust.

Inside the tower are four bells with a remarkable history. The two oldest were cast in London by Robert Burford in 1392 and 1418 – meaning they have been ringing for more than 600 years. The two smaller bells were cast in 1898 by Henry Bowell of Ipswich.

The Friends of Little Bromley Church have been working hard since 2024 to raise funds for the restoration and rehanging of the bells.

And now the work has begun. 🔔

At the end of August, all four bells were carefully removed from the tower and brought to Loughborough for conservation, limited retuning of the two newer bells, and new ringing fittings.

While the bells are away, their remarkable 1499 bellframe will also be repaired and strengthened, ready for the bells to be rehung.

It’s a wonderful piece of our bell-ringing heritage – and we’re very pleased to be playing a part in giving these historic bells many more years of life. 🔔

07/09/2026

What, THE Tom Scott? Yeah he’s quite famous if you didnt know….

02/09/2026

In the 1920s and 1930s, the Taylor bellfoundry was constantly busy, casting an extraordinary number of bells – from major cathedral rings at York Minster, Worcester and Wi******er to huge carillons for the American market.

Taylor’s were so well known they hardly needed to advertise. But they still wanted to showcase their work, and bell enthusiasts were eager to see the latest installations.

So, before websites and social media, they produced an annual calendar featuring some of their recent work.

In our archives, we have a complete set of Taylor calendars from 1927 to 1939. Each featured photographs of churches, details of the work carried out and a calendar – providing a fascinating record of the firm’s work at the time.

The 1940 edition was prepared but never published, as the Second World War intervened.

We’ve been delving into these wonderful old calendars and discovering some of the stories behind the photographs. Read the full story on our website https://belltrust.co.uk/taylors-calendars-a-glimpse-into-the-past/

31/08/2026

Take a look at the goings on the shop floor 👀

27/08/2026

☕ A new addition to our online shop!

We’ve just added this lovely new Taylor’s Bellfoundry word-cloud mug, made for us in fine bone china by Buttercup China in Staffordshire.

The design celebrates the people, places and words that are part of the story of the last working bellfoundry in the UK - we love it!

🇬🇧 Made in Staffordshire
🔔 Inspired by Taylor’s Bellfoundry
☕ Fine bone china
🎁 A lovely gift for anyone interested in bells, bellringing or our industrial heritage

And there’s plenty more to discover in our online shop — from books and gifts to bell-themed treasures and items celebrating the remarkable history of Taylor’s.

Take a look and support the work of Loughborough Bellfoundry Trust.

🛍️ Visit our online shop https://shop.belltrust.co.uk/

22/08/2026

🔔 Why do we bury our bells?

It’s one of the most distinctive parts of the bell-casting process at John Taylor & Co. — and something we’ve been doing this way for generations.

Before the molten bell metal is poured, the bell mould is carefully buried in the foundry floor, leaving the top — or mouth — of the mould above ground. This is where the molten metal is poured in.

But why bury it?

Burying the mould allows the molten bell metal to cool slowly after it is poured, with the compacted earth acting like a blanket to prevent rapid cooling.

We believe this slow cooling gives the bell a better molecular structure, helping it to produce a more resonant sound.

Once cast, the bell remains buried for several days to allow it to cool naturally before the mould is broken open and the newly cast bell is revealed.

It’s a traditional method — and one we still use today, just as Taylor’s has done for generations.

These photographs show the mould being buried in preparation for the pour. 🔔

20/08/2026

🔔 A 100-year wait is nearly over…

High in the tower of this beautiful Yorkshire church hangs a Taylor ring of three bells, cast and installed in 1925.

The bells were installed in a frame built for six — with the original intention that the ring would one day be augmented.

Now, just over a century later, that vision is finally becoming reality.

Thanks to the generosity of a donor, three new treble bells will be cast at John Taylor & Co., with new fittings made for them. The bell metal itself has an interesting story: it is being donated by The Keltek Trust, from the former ring at Hunslet in Leeds.

Work begins in September, when the 1925 Taylor bellframe will be cleaned and painted in preparation for the new bells.

And then, in October 2026, the three new trebles are scheduled to be cast.

We’ll be relaying the story of the bells from this beautiful Grade II* listed building — from the preparation of the existing frame, through the casting of the new bells, and ultimately their journey home. 🔔

📍 Kilburn, North Yorkshire

14/08/2026

The journey of the Manchester bells continues! 🔔

You may remember the photographs of the bells being carefully lowered from Manchester Cathedral’s tower, via the specially constructed platform, before being loaded onto the lorry we saw driving away from the cathedral.

These latest photographs show what happened next: their arrival here at the foundry, where Bill was on hand to unload them.

And yes, it all happened on the same day!

These existing bells will now be provided with new fittings and frames here at John Taylor & Co., ready for the next stage of their journey.

More to come… 🔔