[Bell Historians] The Death Knell for British Founding

[David Bryant]

> The dates seem rather random and more mathematical than historical (where
> did they get 1850 from?)!

The major changes in the bell trade began with Grimthorpe in the mid-C19 -
that's where 1850 comes from.

> I don't suppose it will be long before someone objects to the removal of a
cast in crown staple on grounds of historical
> significance.

Haven't EH already done so?

> Am I right in thinking that when the first list was drawn up bell metal
was
> relatively valuable compared to labour

I believe so.

> These days I would expect that the cost of recasting a bell is
> fairly prohibitive compared to that of retaining a bell for re-use. When
an
> historic bell is found to be unsuitable for use in a ringing peal is its
> retention as a service/clock bell economically viable?

I should imagine so - scrap value isn't much more than 100 quid a
hundredweight. That's another reason why listing bells isn't going to have
as great an impact as the RW is trying to suggest - the cost of retaining it
and having a new one won't be that much greater than recasting it, unless
it's a particularly large bell.

David