Bellfounding is a traditional heritage craft dating back to medieval times in Europe, but even earlier in China. They have a vast history of casting bells. They were initially ceramic, but the earliest metal bells in China are dated to around 2000 BCE.
Bellfounding as a craft came to Britain during the expansion of monasticism, when monks would ring handbells to call people to worship. The size of bells grew so that more people could hear the call to worship. In Medieval times, bells were often cast on site in pits around a Church, or elsewhere on its grounds. This was done by monks who were usually itinerant and would travel from church to church to cast bells on site.
As industrial demand grew and transport networks such as canals and railways were formed, commercial bellfounding took off. Most towns and cities across the country had their own foundries.
Today in the UK, bellfounding takes place almost solely in Loughborough at the John Taylor & Co Bellfoundry, the last major Bellfoundry in the country.
The general process of casting bells has remained largely unchanged since the twelfth century, with bells cast mouth down in a two-part mould.
An inner “core” mould is built on a baseplate in the exact shape of the inner profile of the bell using a device called a “crook”. The outer “cope” mould is built inside a metal casting case using the same “crook” in the inverse. During casting, the molten metal will fill the space left by the “crook” between the two moulds. These moulds must be completely dried before casting to avoid any steam build-up, which could cause an explosion. Any inscriptions or decorative work (excluding engravings) are crafted during the mould-making stage. When ready, the two moulds are carefully clamped together onto a baseplate, and the bell is ready to be cast.
Bells are made of bell metal – an alloy of bronze is composed of approximately 78% copper and 22% tin. The metal is heated in a furnace to 1,200 degrees Celsius and once it reaches the right consistency, the liquid metal is transported to a ladle. At this point, impurities are scraped away and the metal is “poled” with a willow stick, a traditional method of degassing the metal. The bark releases salicylic acid and acts as a flux to aid fusion. The founder will now assess the temperature of the metal either by eye or with a pyrometer. When the desired temperature and consistency of the metal is achieved it is ready to pour into the header box on top of the mould.
Each cast must be completed in one continuous pour, so bellfounders must ensure there is enough metal to fill the moulds and to allow for shrinkage during the cooling process. In some foundries, the two-part mould would be buried in a sandpit for casting, which slows down the cooling process and is safer. This still takes place at the John Taylor & Co. Bellfoundry.
Once the bell has cooled, it is tuned and finished with its required fittings, such as a clapper, dependent on its intended usage.
There have been regional variations in bellfounding since the craft’s expansion across the UK. While the general process remains the same, there are some techniques that differ and have developed over time.
Loam Moulding:
Some foundries, including the Whitechapel Bellfoundry, would construct hollow inner “core” moulds, whereas at Taylor’s they are solid.
Since 2014, at John Taylor & Co. most inner core moulds are made from a self setting sand, not loam. For larger bells, they construct a composite of the two materials with the centre of the core made up of the air set sand, and the outside of loam, bricks and coke etc. The outer moulds at John Taylor & Co. are still made from a lining of loam which comprises of sandy clay, horse manure, and goat hair.
Inscriptions:
The lost wax method (cire perdue) is no longer regularly used for bellfounding in the UK, but it still is in mainland Europe. This is where the inner mould is built on a base plate, dried in a kiln or oven, and then covered in molten wax, creating a false bell. Any inscriptions or decorations are applied on top by hand, also made from wax. Once the mould is ready, the wax is melted away and the false bell layer removed. This leaves behind a negative relief of the ornamental bell surface ready for the founder to pour metal into.
Inscriptions and decorations are stamped directly into the outer mould in Loughborough. This process is quicker than the lost wax method, thus allowing for mass production. The outer mould, made up of loam, is dried in an oven. Once dry, the moulding wires are crafted and any areas where inscriptions and decorations will be cast are prepared with a pliable loam material. Inscriptions are then put on back to front using stamps and letter patterns. This method leaves a negative profile of the letters and decorations where the molten metal will fill the space, and the resultant inscription will read the right way round.
Casting:
The bells cast at John Taylor & Co. in Loughborough are ‘fed’ after casting. A pre-heated metal rod is inserted into the header box and the molten metal is gently agitated. This slows the initial cooling process down and ensures a better distribution of the metal throughout the bell.
Allied crafts:
Bellhangers – whilst these may not cast bells, they do carry out a number of related activities including installation, bell frame making, making timber bell wheels. refurbishment and tuning.
Loughborough Bell Foundry Trust
The Loughborough Bellfoundry Trust was formed in 2016 by Taylor’s Bellfoundry board members. This was done with the aim of protecting the buildings, archive and museum at the John Taylor Bellfoundry by vesting them in a charitable trust. The Trust works alongside Bell Foundry Collections Ltd to run the day-to-day operations of the museum, with all the money made going towards the preservation of the buildings, the collection, and the heritage craft of bellfounding.
When Whitechapel Bellfoundry closed in 2017, it was recognised that the site needed considerable investment to ensure its future. With funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the Loughborough Town Deal, and many other donors, the Loughborough Bellfoundry Trust has been able to restore many parts of the building, protect the archive and create a new heritage experience.
John Taylor & Co.
John Taylor & Co. operate at the Loughborough Bellfoundry Trust premises as a private, limited company. They are the last major bellfoundry in the UK with dedicated staff trained in and learning the heritage craft of bellfounding. They still regularly cast bells in a variety of sizes as well as producing and restoring bell fittings such as headstocks, wheels, stays & sliders, clappers & crown staples and more.
Whitechapel Bell Foundry
In April 2017, the Whitechapel Bell Foundry announced that it had cast its last batch of tower bells on 22 March at the East London premises it has occupied since 1738. After years of struggling against economic pressures and the high cost of maintaining the listed premises, current directors Alan and Kathryn Hughes took the decision to sell the premises and to redistribute the business in order to ensure the continuation of its products into the future. Both in the UK and worldwide, the demand for church bells had declined year on year while the costs of employment and keeping up with manufacturing legislation and insurances have continued to rise. The buildings were in need of extensive upgrading, with estimated costs upwards of £8m.
The Whitechapel Bell Foundry premises were sold, and casting under the Whitechapel name was transferred to Westley Group Ltd. Whites of Appleton Ltd bell hangers purchased pattern equipment to continue making Whitechapel components and a new tuning machine which enables them to offer a high standard of tuning to church bells. Whitechapel musical handbells are available to purchase from Bells of Whitechapel Ltd, along with the entire range of Whitechapel presentation bells, door bells, bracket bells and ships bells, all of which continue to be cast and finished in London.
Innovations in bell technology
Marcus Vergette is using finite element analysis in bell design. Until this computer programme there was not much further that bells could go harmonically. Now that we are able to design and create new harmonic relationships within a bell, and as the sound contains the meaning, new contexts become possible outside where we usually think of bells; in a religious context, Big Ben, sea bouys, school bells, carillons, etc. ( from Marcus Vergette).
Our thanks go to our 2025 informants:
We consult with a wide range of practitioners and organisations to review and update the Red List. Some choose to remain anonymous but all feedback is taken into account.
If you would like to suggest any changes or additions to this page please contact us here
Become a Heritage Crafts Fan and receive a free monthly newsletter about craft announcements, events and opportunities.
Subscribe