Leigh984, The creative portfolio of Leigh Spencer

  I took a trip to the Taylor’s Bell Foundry in Loughborough , Leicestershire , for a tour of the biggest and last remaining bell foundry of its type in the country. John Taylor arrived in Loughborough in 1839 with a vision to shape the soundscape of communities worldwide with their bells. John Taylor & Co. is not just the country’s last remaining bell foundry, but also a living link between tradition and innovation in bellmaking today. I took a " Casting Tour " around the site to see how centuries of tradition and skills passed through generations come together to create the bells we know so well in our churches and towns. We begin looking at the red brick buildings of the factory with the clanging soundtrack of industry in the background. Into the newly opened museum next, and the bell is rung to start our visit. In the casting hall , the roaring furnace is being prepared for casting later in the day. Into the workshop, and the clappers that give the bells their ...