Media Release
Friday April 5, 2024
For immediate release
£100k investment to improve Loughborough Carillon Museum
Carillon Tower UKSPF
Around £100,000 from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund has been secured to make improvements to Loughborough’s historic Carillon Tower and Museum.
Charnwood Borough Council has worked with the Carillon Memorial Trust, which operates and curates the museum, on securing the funding to develop the facility.
The war memorial will receive £100,000 from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and is one of 10 projects chosen by Charnwood Borough Council. The Council has been allocated £4 million from the fund to invest in communities, support local businesses and improve skills.
The project will focus on improving the ground floor of the tower with new display cabinets and introducing more modern ways of presenting information.
Matt Bradford, the Council’s head of contracts, said: “We are incredibly proud to look after the Carillon Tower along with the support of the Trust and its volunteers.
“The Tower has been part of Loughborough for over a century and plays an important role in the town’s history, commemorating those who paid the ultimate sacrifice by giving their lives for their country.
“We are pleased to have secured this significant amount of funding to develop the museum on the ground floor of the tower and I look forward seeing the project move forward.”
Mel Gould, chairman of the Loughborough Carillon Tower and War Memorial Museum said: “It is great news the Carillon Tower and Museum will be receiving an investment of £100,000 to improve facilities and ensures the museum continues to operate.
“We are hoping to improve displays along with new cabinets and more modern ways of presenting artefacts and information.
“Clearly, we are disappointed the Museum will need to close while work is carried out, but we hope people will enjoy the recitals and appreciate hearing the bells ring out across the town.”
Improvement work should start later this year and is expected to be completed by Easter 2025.
As this project has developed, it has become apparent that the tower would need consents to meet modern day fire safety standards. Public safety is paramount and therefore, this does mean public access to the top of the tower will be more restricted in future. The Council is looking at ways to retain some form of access for people, perhaps through organised visits.
Carillion recitals will continue every Thursday and Sunday between 1pm and 2pm throughout the summer.
The Loughborough Carillon is a grade two listed building and was built after the First World War to commemorate the men of Loughborough who gave their lives for their country. It carries the names of 800 men who died in both world wars and other conflicts. Construction was completed in 1923 and is 150ft high.
A total of 47 bells are housed in the Carillon Tower which were cast at Loughborough based John Taylor and Co Bell Foundry, the last major bell foundry in Britain.
ENDS