Key phase for installation of Hope Bell in Loughborough

Published: Fri 30th August, 2024

The main structure of the Hope Bell in Loughborough, which will mark the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on local communities, is due to be installed on Tuesday, 3 September 2024.

The bell will be a tribute to the NHS and key workers and a reminder of how communities came together to support each other in challenging times. Located in Queen’s Park, it will also be a space for reflection to remember those lost in the pandemic.

The installation is part of the Lanes and Links project, led by Charnwood Borough Council, which aims to better connect the park and the town centre.

Bells are synonymous with Loughborough as it is home to the last major bellfoundry in the UK, John Taylor & Co, which is fittingly making the Hope Bell on behalf of the Council.

The project is being funded by Loughborough Town Deal, which secured £16.9 million from the Government’s Towns Fund. The Town Deal is backing 11 projects in total which will bring in over £40 million of total investment.

Foundations for the bell have been put in place over the summer and on Tuesday, the main structure will be delivered to the park and construction will begin. It means Queen’s Park will be closed to the public for the day.

The Hope Bell is a clock chime installation comprising four quarter chime bells and the main Hope Bell to sound the hours.

It will be 7.5 metres high. The bells will be supported by four steel pillars which symbolise people coming together to embrace in a hug, something people said was much missed in the early days of the pandemic.

A band of gold-coloured aluminium will be wrapped around the top, encircling the bells, and giving a visual feeling of sound emanating from them. A poem will be inscribed around the band.

The base will be made of Portland stone, a light-coloured high-quality stone which was also used for the construction of the nearby Carillon Tower.

On Tuesday, the pillars and bells will be installed. The metal structure will weigh around seven and a half tonnes.

The stone base will be added in the coming weeks before the area is landscaped. The installation is due to be completed by October and power will then need to be added to operate the bells to make them chime.

Cllr Anne Gray, the Council’s lead member for open spaces, said: “This is a key phase during the installation of the Hope Bell and it will really start to take shape before our eyes in Queen’s Park.

“It is going to be a wonderful addition to the park and will become a place where people can visit to remember loved ones.”

Cllr Jennifer Tillotson, the Council’s lead member for economic development, regeneration and town centres, said: “The Hope Bell will celebrate the town’s unique bell-making heritage and mark an important moment in our history.

“I am looking forward to seeing this next phase of its development.”

Martin Traynor OBE, Chair of the Loughborough Town Deal Board, said: “The Town Deal Board were delighted to support the Lanes and Links project and I am pleased a key element of the scheme, the Hope Bell, has reached this exciting stage.”

The Lanes and Links project has received £669,000 through the Town Deal. The project also includes improving lighting and adding banners to Bleach Yard and the addition of information points in Queen’s Park.

More information about the Lanes and Links project including the Hope Bell is available at www.charnwood.gov.uk/lanesandlinks

To find out more about the Loughborough Town Deal projects, visit: www.loughboroughtowndeal.co.uk