Any Listers interested in Campanology? If so, you may like to look at:- History of the
creation of Great Paul by Taylors Bell Founders of Loughborough.
Great Paul is the bourdon bell in the 13 bell chime at St Paul's being, so the web
site claims(still) the largest bell in the world with a diameter of over nine feet and a
weight of 17,000kgs (approx 16 3/4 Tons)
This massive E flat bell was eventually commissioned and cast in 1881 and eventually
installed in St Paul's (125 feet above ground level) in May 1882 but all not without
considerable trails and tribulations as a bell casting of such epic size and weight had
never been attempted before and Taylors were very reluctant, on the grounds of cost and
reputation to undertake the work.
There IS a Cat*ley connection to all this, as Rev Richard Cattley ( a minor Canon at
Worcester Cathedral) an acknowledged authority on church bells and clocks, was seemingly
instrumental in convincing Tailors to undertake the commission which used 20,000 Kgs of
bell metal including 18 medium sized bells from such places as Wells Cathedral and
Manchester.
Regards
Tim