Carillon Tower, Queen's Park, Loughborough, a monument originally raised to those local men who died in World War I. Designed by the important architect, Sir Walter Tapper (1861-1935), and built by the local firm of William Moss & Sons, it is a Grade II listed structure, with a 26'9" x 16' Portland stone base, rising to 152' high. The tower itself is of brick with Portland stone dressings, while the bell-storey and lantern are of copper. Brass plates on the Portland stone level are inscribed with the names of the fallen. According to the Times report that gives its dimensions, the total weight of the bells, cast in the local John Taylor Bell Foundry, is 21 tons (see "The Loughborough War Memorial" and the listing text).
Although plans were completed soon after the war, it took time to erect the tower, and the official opening ceremony was not held until 22 July 1923. This ceremony, for what was then a one-of-a-kind memorial, was a very grand occasion: Edward Elgar composed a piece of music for it, entitled "Carillon Chimes" (see "Loughborough Carillon Tower"). The idea for such a bell tower came from Belgium, as the Times also reported. The Carillon houses a museum as well as a bell chamber, and has recently undergone a thorough conservation.
Photographs by Colin Price. Text and formatting by Jacqueline Banerjee. You may use these images without prior permission for any scholarly or educational purpose as long as you (1) credit the photographer and (2) link your document to this URL in a web document or cite the Victorian Web in a print one. [Click on the images to enlarge them.]
Bibliography
"Carillon Tower, Queen's Park." website">Historic England. Web. 21 November 2019.
"Loughborough Carillon Tower." Charnwood Borough Council. Web. 21 November 2019.
Loughborough Roll of Honour: The History of the Memorial" (this has a helpful diagram of the inside of the tower). Loughborough Roll of Honour. Web. 21 November 2019.
"The Loughborough War Memorial."
Last modified 21 November 2019