The Whitechapel Bell Foundry in East London where some of the country’s most
famous bells have been cast, sadly closed and stopped manufacture in 2017. The
Company had been producing bells since 1570 and on the site in Whitechapel Road
since the 1740s. These have included in the 1700s, the clock bell for St Paul’s
Cathedral, the Liberty Bell, symbol of American independence, and the famous Bow
Bells for St Mary-le-Bow, which to be born close enough to hear, defined being a
“Cockney”. In the mid-1800s they cast Big Ben, more correctly the “Great Bell”
providing the famous chimes in the Clock Tower (now Elizabeth Tower) adjacent to
the Houses of Parliament which among other landmarks signify the arrival of New
Year at midnight on 31 st December.
The site sold in 2017 by the Hughes family, Raycliff Whitechapel LLP developers, the
new owners propose to preserve the main road fronting Grade II* listed building and
build a luxury 103 bedroom hotel with rooftop pool at the rear. The scheme backed
by Historic England and approved by the local authority Tower Hamlets has now had
an alternative put forward by Re-Form Heritage and Factum Foundation to retain
the site as a viable bell foundry. Following opposition from the public and
community groups, the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local
Government has “called in” Raycliff Whitechapel’s proposals. Consequently an
enquiry, expected to last up to two weeks will prepare a report to submit to the
Secretary of State who will then decide the future of the site.
For more information please see the Guardian article at:
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/oct/04/will-the-bells-ring-out-again-at-londons-
big-ben-foundry
The Developer’s more detailed proposals and the form to pledge support for their
scheme to the Secretary of State:
https://www.thebellfoundry.co.uk/
The Re-Form Heritage site and opportunity to support the alternative scheme at:
https://re-form.org/whitechapel/information
Graham Lee
Project Manager
COTAC
