[Bell Historians] Houndsditch?

[David Cawley]

Yes, this is indeed Houndsditch Warehouse, and as far as I can see the main road in front is Houndsditch itself, which runs roughly from Aldgate to Spitalfields.

As Dickon's site shows, the front nine bells were cast for various locations in 1931-2. The three largest were cast specifically for Houndsditch at the end of 1933. The bells were is a recess behind an elaborate ornamental grille at first-flloor window level, on the Houndsditch front of the building; originally, they sounded in connection with the clock on the corner. As the image Mike sent was dated 1933 it is possible that the bells had not yet arrived; but that is where they were (certainly not on the roof as A. W. suggests). They were very visible from the street, though I never heard them; in fact the received wisdom was that they had never been re-started since the WW2 ban.

I was pleased to be taken some years ago by Dickon to see the arrangement illustrated in Lovesguide, and I am a little disturbed to hear that this attractive feature is again apparently on its travels. 

DLC
 
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: chester at michaelchester4.orangehome.co.uk 
  To: bellhistorians at yahoogroups.com 
  Sent: Thursday, May 08, 2014 3:35 PM
  Subject: [Bell Historians] Houndsditch? [1 Attachment]


    
  [Attachment(s) from chester at michaelchester4.orangehome.co.uk included below]
   

  Matthew Higby put me on to this photo.  Is it Houndsditch Warehouse?




  I found a photo of the warehouse at




  http://collage.cityoflondon.gov.uk/collage/app?service=external/Item&sp=Zhoundsditch+warehouse&sp=51671&sp=X





  which says it is "Back Gravel Lane" and an exact copy of it as the "Stoney Lane Elevation"




  The style of the building is very similar in both photographs, but the clock is different.  Were the bells not on this corner, perhaps?




  Mike


  
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