Loughborough Carillon

The Loughborough Carillon stands 46 metres tall in Queen's Park and is one of the finest examples of a carillon in Britain. A carillon is a musical instrument played from a keyboard that rings tuned cast bells — Loughborough has 47 of them, ranging from small trebles to a large bourdon that can be heard for miles. Recitals are given in summer from the open lantern of the tower, sending the music across the park.

Queen's Park itself is a well-kept Victorian town park with the Charnwood Museum in the former baths at its northwest corner. The museum covers local industrial history including basket-weaving, hosiery, and the distinctive geology of Charnwood Forest, where some of the oldest visible rock formations in England are found. Together, the park, the Carillon, and the museum make a pleasant hour or two.

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A story
The Loughborough Carillon was built as a war memorial after the First World War — funded entirely by public subscription, with each of the 47 bells dedicated to one of the Loughborough men who died. The town had suffered disproportionate losses; the carillon was their community's way of making the names ring out. It was the first memorial carillon built in Britain.