Green sign, Whitechapel Bell Foundry, 32 Whitechapel Rd, Shadwell, London E1 1EW
The Whitechapel Bell Foundry was a business in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. At the time of the closure of its Whitechapel premises, it was the oldest manufacturing company in Great Britain.[1] The bell foundry primarily made church bells and their fittings and accessories, although it also provided single tolling bells, carillon bells and handbells. The foundry was notable for being the original manufacturer of the Liberty Bell, a famous symbol of American independence, and for re-casting Big Ben, which rings from the north clock tower (the Elizabeth Tower) at the Houses of Parliament in London. The Whitechapel premises are a Grade II* listed building. The foundry closed on 12 June 2017, after nearly 450 years of bell-making and 250 years at its Whitechapel site,[2] with the final bell cast given to the Museum of London along with other artefacts used in the manufacturing process,[3] and the building has been sold.[4][5] Following the sale of the Whitechapel Bell Foundry, the bell patents were sold to the bell-hanging company, Whites of Appleton in Oxfordshire, with whom the foundry has had a business relationship for 197 years, and rights to tower bell production are now under the ownership of Westley Group Ltd. Production of presentation and hand bells will continue under the name Bells of Whitechapel Ltd. Housing secretary Robert Jenrick has temporarily halted 31/44 Architects’ plans to revamp the site of a Grade II*-listed bell foundry in east London, which include a boutique hotel Last month the practice narrowly won approval from Tower Hamlets Council to revamp the historic Whitechapel Bell Foundry building, despite the two applications receiving more than 750 objections. But Jenrick has now issued a holding directive preventing the borough from signing off permission.
Size: 5472px × 3648px
Location: 32 Whitechapel Rd, Shadwell, London, South East England, UK, E1 1EW
Photo credit: © Tony Smith / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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