Whitechapel Bell Foundry

I was definitely the only fellow without a free bus-pass on my weekend tour around the Whitechapel Bell Foundry. But I didn’t mind so much as it was a total privilege to see this ancient workshop that has operated out of London’s East end since at least 1570.  Indeed, so coveted are the tour places that most of our group (myself included) had been on a waiting list for close to a year.

The first thing you notice on the tour is that the work-space is tiny. Its low ceilings and crooked old structures are groaning under the pressures of time and in some places it looks as though the roof might fall in at any moment. But that’s what happens to a place where true graft takes place. I can’t really explain how reassuringly exciting it is to see a small and relatively successful niche foundry in the middle of London. The tools and equipment that the founders use to make the bells seem to vibrate with the character of the craftsman that use them. There is a strong omnipresent feeling of tradition hanging in the air and the ghosts of the workshop past seem to look on from the rafters.

The bells for Big Ben were made here, as were many of the old colonial bells across the world, including some that still hang in the Cathedrals and Colleges of the Americas. Check out some of the history on their site and if you fancy a look around, you ought to be prepared for a long wait. But I can honestly say it is really really worth it.  You could of course order a gigantic big bell and you might get to go along anyway.

PS: Today is Colourschool’s 300th post! (wahey!)