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City & Village Tours: 0845 812 5000 info@cityandvillagetours.com
Whitechapel Wonders
Enjoy a bell foundry tour, lunch on Brick Lane & spend
the afternoon at an art gallery or enjoy the furniture &
living room designs at The Geffrye Museum.
The Whitechapel Bell Foundry is recognised by the
Guinness Book of Records as the oldest manufacturing
company in the world. It has been hammering away in
Whitechapel since 1570. It was chosen to cast the huge
bell that will ring out in the Olympic Stadium to mark
the beginning of the Games and just to clear up a note
of controversy, yes the bell is being cast in Holland
because there just isn’t the space at the East End HQ but
it is by design a Whitechapel Bell regardless of where
the metal is poured. As Kathryn Hughes from the
foundry said in an interview with The Daily Mail ‘If an
M&S outfit is made in China, it is still M&S clothing.”
You can arrange a 90-minute guided tour of this small
working foundry for groups of up to 25 people.
The foundry guides are reported to be knowledgeable
and very witty. The tour follows the process of making
large bells, small bells and hand bells. It is a
surprisingly complicated business to make and tune
a bell. This is a small foundry with a lot packed into
a small place. There are low beams and small steep
staircases so wear practical clothes and sensible shoes.
SPECIAL OLYMPIC OPENING
During the Olympic fortnight only there is a rare
opportunity to visit the Foundry at 34 Whitechapel Road
without prior booking to witness the UK’s oldest
manufacturing company in action. The foundry will
be open daily from 10.00am to 5.00pm (last admission
4.30pm) from Saturday 28 July until Sunday 12 August
2012. Visits will be self-guided and families are
welcome. This is a unique chance to see how bells are
moulded and to see many of their highly specialised
craft skills in operation. Casting bells and pouring hot
metal is not permissible during this time,
due to
‘elf &
safety. During the special opening you can visit the
small museum, shop and new heritage and education
centre. And see if a visit will be suitable for your
group. Admission is £10.00 per head.
Family entry for 2 adults and up to 4 children is £25.00
Whitechapel Bell Foundry
T: 0207 247 2599
E:
W:
Make an East End day of it with free time for a
tasty Indian lunch on Brick Lane which is within
walking distance of the Foundry and for the other
half of the day there are a couple of options in this
area:
The Whitechapel Gallery
For over a century the Whitechapel Gallery has
premiered world-class artists from modern masters
such as Pablo Picasso, Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko
and Frida Kahlo to contemporaries such as Sophie
Calle, Lucian Freud, Gilbert & George and Mark
Wallinger. There is always something to see in the
main galleries which are free admission and open
every day except Mondays. They also have special
exhibitions with an entrance fee.
www.whitechapelgallery.org
The Geffrye Museum
Based in old ironmongers’ cottages this is the history
of the English living room from Tudor times to the
current day. You’ll enjoy the recreated living rooms
and by the time it gets to the 40s and 50s it starts
getting quite nostalgic. Entry is free and there is a nice
café on site.
www.geffrye-museum.org.uk
ONE TO DO ON YOUR OWN