Here are listed the 28 existing and 9 former
great bells of the British Isles,
in descending order by weight.
The list includes three bass bells of carillons,
as well as five bells which are (or were) in or associated with chimes.
There are 38 entries because one bell not only was moved but also shrank in the process!
The format of each entry is explained in a key
at the bottom of this page.
Not listed are at least two medieval bells (since replaced) for which
insufficient documentation is available to support proper placement in the list.
They are mentioned in the remarks about the bells which replaced them.
Following the list are some References to related
information about the data found here.
A regional locator map
includes all of these great bells, whether contained in some instrument or independent.
NOTE: A companion page lists these bells
(and a few others) in order by year of casting,
and shows which ones set a new record for "largest cast in England to date".
"Olympic Bell", B (247.0 Hz nominal), 22-10-3-24, Whitechapel/Eijsbouts, 2012
London Way, beside Olympic Stadium Stratford E20 2ST
LL: N 51.54042, W 0.01639 Site locator map
City locator maps and gazetteer page
Diameter 3.3m
Claimed to be the heaviest bell in Europe; is the heaviest tuned bell in the world.
Contracted by the local organizing committee of the 2012 Olympic Games
to the Whitechapel bellfoundry of London, which did not have the necessary
foundry capacity on site; subcontracted to Eijsbouts, and cast at a foundry in Drunen, Netherlands.
Thus it is debatable whether this has superseded the old record for the
heaviest bell cast in England.
Rung four times (by electropneumatic action)
during the opening ceremonies of the Olympics on 27 July 2012;
then moved to storage; reinstalled at present location in 2016.
While recent photos show that the bell appears to contain the original striking mechanism,
it has been reported as silent.
Inscribed "Be not afeard the isle is full of noises" (from Shakespeare's "The Tempest")
and "London 2012".
Links:
> The Waymarking page
about the bell has 5 photos.
> Stock
photo shows exterior and interior of the bell, with striker
> Page
of four photos of the bell (scroll down), apparently with its original electric striker
> The English Wikipedia
article about the bell
has photos of it in its location during the Olympics and its present location.
There are external links to three YouTube videos about the making of the bell.
Southwest tower
St.Paul's Cathedral (Anglican)
City of London, E.C.4
LL: N 51.51362, E 0.09939 Site locator map
City locator maps and gazetteer page
Originally hung for slow swinging by levers; rehung in 1891 with counterbalanced clapper
for slow swinging.
The southwest tower (to the right as you face the front of the building) also contains
the hour bell "Great Tom" (see #21 below) and two quarter bells.
The northwest tower contains a ring of 12 bells and a service bell.
Diameter 290cm
Links:
> Views of the building from
PhotoGuide to London
> The Cathedral page
in Love's Guide depicts the building, and a linked page about the
southwest tower
pictures and describes not only Great Paul but also Great Tom (see #21 below).
> The sound of this bell is the subject of a
harmonic analysis
by Bill Hibbert, based on...
> Stephen Ivin's recording of this bell (via Bill Hibbert)
> The late John Ketteringham's recording
of this bell.
> Where this bell lies in the total sequence of output of the
Taylor bellfoundry.
Cracked during testing, and was replaced the following year
by the present bell (see #5 below).
Links:
> Where this bell lies in the total sequence of output of the
Warner bellfoundry.
4.Liverpool, Merseyside/Lancashire, England - 33098 lbs
"Great George", C#, 295-2-02, Taylor, 1940
Cathedral Church of Christ (Anglican)
LL: N 53.39764, W 2.97320 Site locator map
City locator maps and gazetteer page
Weight before tuning 333-3-10.
Diameter 290cm
Dated 1937 (inscription) but actually cast on 23 July 1940.
Hangs in the center of the ring of 12 (see #35 below) in the central tower.
Links:
> The Cathedral Website
is well worth exploration for the architecture of this stupendous building;
see the Gallery for two photos of the tower, which was completed in 1942.
Don't miss the section on a
tower visit,
with microphotos and descriptions.
> An excellent long
article from the BBC pictures and describes the major spaces in the tower.
> Where this bell lies in the total sequence of output of the
Taylor bellfoundry.
Clock Tower
The Palace of Westminster
Houses of Parliament
LL: N 51.50083, W 0.12456 Site locator map
City locator maps and gazetteer page
Was cast to replace the 1856 Warner bell (see #3 above).
Slightly cracked after hanging, and remains in that condition today, somewhat turned.
Diameter 274cm
Northwest tower
Cathedral and Metropolitan Church of St. Peter
(York Minster)
LL: N 53.96239, W 1.08313 Site locator map
City locator maps and gazetteer page
Replaces bell of 1845 (see #7 below) using the same frame.
Weight before tuning 245-0-9 (27449 lbs).
Diameter 238cm
The largest manually-swung bell in the British Isles; swung for 5 minutes at noon daily.
Also serves as hour bell, accompanied by 6 clock bells (Taylor, 2000).
Links:
> On the York Minster Website, see the History page.
> There is also a subsidiary section created in 2000 for the Bells Appeal
to create a 6-bell clock chime to accompany Great Peter;
that section includes a recording of Great Peter along with the heavy octave of
the change-ringing bells in the southwest tower.
> The York ringers Website includes a
tower tour page which
pictures both the present and the former bell, as well as the clock chime.
Another tower tour page
recounts the history of all the bells in both towers,
including the 11-bell chime (Taylor, 1933) installed in the southwest tower in 1989.
> A tourist Website has
a photo of the Minster and its towers, and presents a fine tour of the city.
On the Minster Close page, click "11" to see Great Peter returning home after the 1927 recasting.
> A ringers guide page
has a clickable photo of the Minster.
> Bill Hibbert's recording of this bell
> The late John Ketteringham's recording of this bell (possibly adapted from Bill Hibbert's)
> Where this bell lies in the total sequence of output of the
Taylor bellfoundry.
"Great Peter" (original), pitch?, 215 cwt, C & G Mears (Whitechapel), 1845
Cathedral and Metropolitan Church of St. Peter
(York Minster)
Was hung for full-circle ringing, with two wheels and four pulley-boxes;
but proved to be unringable.
Replaced in 1927 (see #6 above)
Scrapping weight 200-0-14 (22414 lbs)
Links:
> Where this bell lies in the total sequence of output of the
Whitechapel bellfoundry.
Nottingham Council House (on the site of the former Exchange building)
Old Market Square
between Long Row and South Parade at King Street
Nottingham NG1 2DT
LL: N 52.95353, W 1.14856 Site locator map
City locator maps and gazetteer page
Hour bell; the deepest-toned non-swinging clock bell in the British Isles.
Weight before tuning 224-0-12 (25100 lbs)
Diameter 259cm
Accompanied by 4 bells for Cambridge (Westminster) quarters
Links:
> A city history page
has a small photo and description of the Council House near the bottom.
> A history of the Council House
mentions the bell.
> A tourist page
has a small color photo of the building at night (see under Old Market Square in the left column).
> A photo of the tower,
as viewed from St.Peters Chambers.
> A page about Nottingham buildings has a photo and description.
> A city development page has a panoramic photo banner at the top,
with the Council House clearly visible.
> Where this bell lies in the total sequence of output of the
Taylor bellfoundry.
Wills Tower (main building)
Bristol University
Park Street and Queens Road (A4018)
Bristol BS1
LL: N 51.45614, W 2.60480 Site locator map
City locator maps and gazetteer page
Weight before tuning 232-2-21 (26061 lbs).
Hung for slow swinging; rung only for very special occasions.
Highmoor Bell Tower
LL: N 54.81791, W 3.15023 Site locator map
City locator maps and gazetteer page
Hour bell associated with a 9-bell automatic chime by
van Aerschodt
which played a tune every three hours;
scrapped or lost in 1920 (though the tower, built on a private estate, apparently still stands).
Links:
> A page about Wigton gives a brief description of the tower and its bells;
unfortunately, no photo has yet been found online.
> Where this bell lies in the total sequence of output of the
Taylor bellfoundry.
Town Hall
LL: N 53.47938, W 2.24460 Site locator map
City locator maps and gazetteer page
Hour bell, replacing a lighter bell cast six years before (see #14 below);
this was also the bass bell of a 21-bell chime (incorporating a ring of 10)
which preceded the present automatic carillon (incorporating a ring of 12).
Links:
> The No.2 bell of the original chime is listed at #22 below.
> Bill Hibbert's recording of this bell
> Where this bell and the original chime lie in the total sequence of output of the
Taylor bellfoundry.
> For additional links, see the carillon page linked above.
Abbey Church
Buckfast Abbey (St.Mary's, R.C.)
Buckfastleigh, Devon TQ11 0EE
LL: N 50.49300, W 3.77555 Site locator map
City locator maps and gazetteer page
Bourdon accompanying a ring of 12 (+2 semitones) by Warner, 1907 and 1910
Links:
> On the Abbey Website, see The Abbey Church.
> The Abbey's page about the bells has
an old photo of Hosanna in the center of bellframe surrounded by the peal bells.
> A PhotoGuide to Devon
offers several pictures of church and tower, all clickable for larger versions.
> A local ringers page
about the abbey and its bells.
> The Castle Photo Archive has a fine picture of the building.
> A photo Website
offers a picture which will fill the largest screen!
> A Wikipedia article has a large photo of the Abbey church from another perspective.
> Where this bell lies in the total sequence of output of the
Taylor bellfoundry.
Minster Church of St.John the Evangelist
(Beverley Minster)
Beverley, Yorkshire (East Riding)
LL: N 53.83902, W 0.42542 Site locator map
City locator maps and gazetteer page
Hour bell, also hung for slow swinging, in the southwest tower,
replacing the Great Bell of 1900 (see #18 below);
a ring of 10 hangs in the northwest tower and is also used to chime the quarters.
Links:
> The Minster Website has one exterior photo
on the History page, but there is no mention of bells except under Organisations.
> A photo collection presents several b/w or color images,
all clickable for large (and sometimes super-large) versions.
> A ringing society page
mentions the bell and includes a clickable photo of the building.
> David Bryant's recording of this bell (via Bill Hibbert)
> The late John Ketteringham's recording of this bell.
> Where this bell lies in the total sequence of output of the
Taylor bellfoundry.
14.Manchester, Gtr.Man., England - ~14448(+/-56) lbs
"Great Abel" (former), F#, 129 cwt, Taylor, 1876
Town Hall
Hour bell, replaced by a heavier bell six years later (see #11 above)
Links:
> Where this bell lies in the total sequence of output of the
Taylor bellfoundry.
"Great Tom", A/A#, 124-2-0, Christopher Hodson, 1680
Tom Tower (gatehouse)
Christ Church (College)
St.Aldates (Street)
Oxford University
LL: N 51.75026, W 1.25657 Site locator map
City locator maps and gazetteer page
Recast from a large medieval bell formerly in Oseney Abbey; once reputed as 152 cwt.
Originally hung for ringing, but rarely (if ever) so sounded; rehung in 1953 with balanced fittings
for slow swinging.
Tom Tower was designed by Sir Christopher Wren in 1682.
Links:
> On a virtual tour of Christ Church,
click the P in the center of Tom Quad for a good view of Tom Tower.
> An Oxford photo gallery
opens with a photo of Tom Tower at sunset, from inside the quad.
> An explanation of "Oxford Time" -
why Great Tom rings at 9:05pm GMT (101 times); hour strike 8am to 9pm.
> A tourist page has two snippets with clickable photos of Tom Tower
> A personal photo collection offers six clickable images of Tom Tower.
> A curious ancient ditty
about Great Tom and other bells of Christ Church.
> A guide to the Colleges of Oxford
has more interesting photography as well as the history of this fascinating place.
> Bill Hibbert's recording of Great Tom striking five o'clock.
> The late John Ketteringham's recording of this bell striking one o'clock
(possibly a truncated version of Bill Hibbert's recording).
> Where this bell lies in the total sequence of output of the
miscellaneous bellfoundries.
"Big Joe" or "Big Brum", G (401Hz), 121-2-11, Taylor, 1908
The Chamberlain Clock Tower
University Square
Birmingham University
LL: N 52.44997, W 1.93064 Site locator map
City locator maps and gazetteer page
Hour bell
Links:
> A University page
has a photo and brief description of the tower; see also the other three "Campus Pictures" pages.
> Another University page offers
several small photos of the tower from various perspectives.
> A page from Pevsner Architectural Guides
mentions architect I.Bell but not the bell in the tower.
> A good photo of the tower.
> Where this bell lies in the total sequence of output of the
Taylor bellfoundry.
17.Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne & Wear, England - 13272 lbs
Cathedral Church of St.Nicholas
Mosley Street and St.Nicholas Street
LL: N 54.97003, W 1.61169 Site locator map
City locator maps and gazetteer page
Hour bell; replaced 65 cwt bell of 1833 by James Harrison;
sixth largest bell in the country when it was cast.
Originally hung for ringing; rehung for slow swinging in 1990s by Taylor.
Also here is a ring of 12+1 (1892, 1914, 1999).
Replacing a 35 cwt bell of 1703,
this bell, hung for slow swinging, was here for only a year before being removed
as it was in turn replaced by "Great John" (see #13 above);
a short time later this bell was sold to Downside Abbey (see #20 below).
19.Lincoln, Lincolnshire, England - ~12096(+/-56) lbs
"Great Tom", A, 5 tons 8 cwt, Thomas Mears (Whitechapel), 1835
Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Lincoln LN2 1PX
LL: N 53.23444, W 0.53626 Site locator map
City locator maps and gazetteer page
Hour bell, in the central tower, accompanied by four clock bells (Taylor, 1880).
Recast from a 79-cwt bell of 1610.
Originally hung for ringing, but that was quickly abandoned because it shook the tower too much.
Links:
> The Cathedral Website
has no information about the bells, except that the Gift Shop sells a history of them.
> The story
of the recasting; see also the adjacent chapters.
> Where this bell lies in the total sequence of output of the
Whitechapel bellfoundry.
20.Stratton-on-the-Fosse, Somerset (Bath), England - 11956 lbs
"Great Bede", G, 106-3-0, Taylor, 1900
The Abbey Church, or
Basilica of St.Gregory the Great (RC)
Downside Abbey
Stratton-on-the-Fosse, Bath, BA3 4RH
LL: N 51.25555, W 2.49573 Site locator map
City locator maps and gazetteer page
Installed here in 1901 after its removal from Beverley Minster (see #18 above);
presumably the reduction in weight was caused by severe retuning.
One other much smaller bell accompanies it.
Each can be swung or tolled electrically, under manual or automatic control.
Links:
> The Abbey Website
has a photo of the abbey church on the home page;
- see "Introduction" for a photo of the belfry;
- see "The Abbey Church" for a small historical photo of the bell
before it was installed in the belfry, plus an aerial view of the abbey church;
- see "Contact Us" for another photo of the tower;
- see "Where are we" for a photo of the belfry;
- see "Introduction" for a detailed local map.
> A regional map page
includes a photo of the church
> A Benedictine page about
this abbey includes a photo of the church.
> A local area Website includes two photos of the church:
#1,
#2.
> A photo inside the belfry shows the bell dwarfed by the huge space.
> Bill Hibbert's recording of this bell
> The late John Ketteringham's recording of this bell (possibly a copy of Hibbert's).
> Where this bell lies in the total sequence of output of the
Taylor bellfoundry.
"Great Tom", A-flat, 102-1-22, Richard Phelps, 1716
St.Paul's Cathedral
Hour bell, hung dead in the southwest tower with Great Paul (see #2 above).
Recast from a bell of 1710 (see #23 below), presumably with additional new metal.
22.Manchester, Gtr.Man., England - ~11200(+/-56) lbs
old no.20 bell, G#, 5 tons, Taylor, 1877
Town Hall
Second largest of the original chime bells
Scrapping weight (gross) in 1936 was 99-3-21 (11193 lbs);
the metal was used in casting the present automatic carillon.
Links:
> (See #11 above.)
> Where this bell and the original chime lie in the total sequence of output of the
Taylor bellfoundry.
Ampleforth College and Abbey
York YO62 4ER
LL: N 54.20185, W 1.08468 Site locator map
City locator maps and gazetteer page
Hung in the tower of the Abbey Church.
The Abbey shares the campus with the College (a Benedictine school).
Links:
> The Abbey Website has a dim and
pixellated photo of the building as a background for the home page.
> The College Website has
a tiny distant photo of the campus and church tower
> Where this bell lies in the total sequence of output of the
Whitechapel bellfoundry.
26.Liverpool, Merseyside/Lancashire, England - 10254 lbs
Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King (RC)
Mount Pleasant
Liverpool L3 5TQ
LL: N 53.40431, W 2.96892 Site locator map
City locator maps and gazetteer page
The largest of four bells, each hung in a hole in the decorated slab of concrete which stands
over the Cathedral entrance; all are electrically swung or tolled.
Links:
> The Cathedral Website
doesn't mention the bells at all.
Click Virtual Tour -> History to find the history of the building; though it doesn't mention the bells,
it does have at the bottom of the page a photo with a different perspective on the "bell slab".
> A tourist page
has a clickable photo of the in-the-round-with-crown building at the top of the page.
Further down there is a better one, which makes clear where the Cathedral's four bells are hung.
> The Cathedral page
on the Archdiocesan Website has a grainy photo of the front of the building.
> Where this bell lies in the total sequence of output of the
Whitechapel bellfoundry.
(Italian) Church of St.Peter (RC)
Clerkenwell Road near Farringdon Road
Hatton Garden EC1N
LL: N 51.52223, W 0.10903 Site locator map
City locator maps and gazetteer page
Steel bell (the largest ever made by Vickers), hung dead; weight with clapper 92-2-25 (10385 lbs).
Was on display at an exhibition in London before being purchased for the church, then under construction.
Cathedral Church of Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary (Anglican)
LL: N 52.18870, W 2.22078 Site locator map
City locator maps and gazetteer page
Originally reported as 90 cwt; retuned in 1928.
The complete (and extensive) Latin inscription on this bell is reported in The Ringing World,
No.4962 (June 2, 2006), p.519.
Also here is a ring of 12 + 4 semitones
as well as a chime of 8 bells.
Links:
> The Cathedral page on the diocesan Website
has a small photo of the building, but no mention of its bells.
There is a larger photo on all subordinate pages.
A City Road Map is available.
There is mention that the tower is open to the public (admission fee charged).
A small photo of the ring (bells up) is on the Services page.
> A large photo
of the building
> A building photo with different perspective
> A local tour page
has more photos of the building (see the Gallery also).
> Where this bell lies in the total sequence of output of the
Taylor bellfoundry.
32.Loughborough, Leicestershire, England - 9284 lbs
Bass bell, A, 82-3-16, Taylor, 1923
Loughborough War Memorial
LL: N 52.76938, W 1.21057
Former hour bell, pitch?, 82-2-11, Philip Wightman, 1708
St.Paul Cathedral
Recasting of a bell which had been moved here in 1698 from the clock tower at Westminster;
replaced in turn in 1710 (see #23 above).
In the recasting, the custom inscription on the old bell was reproduced,
but there is no evidence of its date or maker.
Links:
> (See #2 above.)
> Where this bell lies in the total sequence of output of the
miscellaneous bellfoundries.
Town Hall
Victoria Square, Knowsley Street
Bolton BL1
LL: N 53.57834, W 2.43030 Site locator map
City locator maps and gazetteer page
Also four quarter bells.
The clock has been electrified.
Links:
> The city Website
has color photo of building (and a larger version is available).
> Also see this building history
for another photo; follow links to see a larger version of the photo.
There are more on the Victoria Square page, also the Gallery page and the Webcam.
> A large version
of an old b/w photo (89KB).
> A text page about the dedication of the building mentions the clock and bells.
> Where this bell lies in the total sequence of output of the
Warner bellfoundry.
35.Liverpool, Merseyside/Lancashire, England - 9195 lbs
North tower
Cathedral Church of St.Peter (Anglican)
LL: N 50.72267, W 3.52982 Site locator map
City locator maps and gazetteer page
Replaces a bell cast in 1484; hung for ringing, but not so sounded for a very long time.
In the south tower is a ring of 12 + 2 (semitone and extended treble, total 14),
tenor 72-2-2 in B-flat - the second-heaviest such bell in the world.
Links:
> The Cathedral Website
opens with an aerial view, showing clearly the unusual pair of side towers.
> 'Peter' is described at the bottom of the
Bells page.
> Where this bell lies in the total sequence of output of the
miscellaneous bellfoundries.
Chris Pickford's list of
Great Bells of Great Britain, in
DOC format,
as hosted on the Website of the
Keltek Trust.
As of 03/01/06, that list contained about 1700 bells, some of them outside the British Isles;
all are either actually or reputedly at least one tonne (20 cwt) in weight.
Of the 38 heaviest bells on his list, 37 are described in more detail above.
(The other is an undatable medieval bell mentioned in remarks above.)