Documenting the last major Bellfoundry in Britain

Mass works on its first heritage project documenting the regeneration of the Bellfoundry in Loughborough through a series of photography workshops.

We would like to start 2022 with some exciting news: over the course of the next three years, Mass Collective will lead a series of photography workshops whose goal is to document the refurbishment of the Loughborough Bellfoundry.

As part of the National Lottery Heritage Fund project “Taylor’s: Saving the last Major Bellfoundry in Britain”. The regeneration project will seek to overhaul the iconic bellfoundry with its victorian casting hall, archive and museum for future generations.

With the recent closure of Whitechapel’s bellfoundry (the only other major bell manufacturer in the UK), Loughborough remains of significant importance.

Home to the historic John Taylor & Co bellmakers, the regeneration of the 1859 grade II* listed building would prevent the loss of hundreds of years of history and the silencing of an archive of thousands of bells forever.

To preserve the history of the bellfoundry, John Taylor & Co’s bells and the workers, we’ll be working closely with volunteers from the local community and teaching them how to best capture the changes undergoing at this incredible historic site over the next three years.

The educational workshops will teach the volunteers the necessary skills to document the regeneration of the bellfoundry and create a photographic record for the archive of the museum.

We’re excited to keep you updated with more news (and photos) soon, and if you’d like to follow along with the project, be sure to follow us @mass.collective and the Bellfoundry @lborobelltrust on Instagram.

Applications for local residents to participate in the documenting of the bellfoundry will soon be released via the foundry’s website.