Bell gift marks Sept 11 anniversary

The new bell has taken two months to make

By Richard Lister BBC News correspondent

A London foundry is putting the finishing touches to an historic church bell for the people of New York, to commemorate the September 11 attacks.

The bell will be the centrepiece of a special service at Trinity Church on Wall Street later this year, to mark the first anniversary of the attacks.

Hidden away in the east end of London the Whitechapel Bell Foundry has been making bells for more than 400 years.

The company made Big Ben

Established in 1576 or possibly even earlier, it is Britain's oldest manufacturing company and has made some of the most important bells on both sides of the Atlantic, including Big Ben in London's Parliament clock tower and the Liberty bell in Philadelphia.

London and New York have long had strong business and cultural links, and the new bell has been commissioned by the Corporation of London to mark the September 11 attacks.

It is a tradition for Londoners to commission a church bell for the people of New York when tragedy affects them both. The last bell was sent to New York to thank the people for their help in World War II.

Forged in adversity - 11 September 2001

Bell inscription

The intention is that this new bell will become part of the fabric of America, commemorating the tragedy last September but also symbolising hope for the future and the enduring friendship across the Atlantic.

The chief executive of the foundry Alan Hughes said he hoped the bell would be seen as a symbol of friendship between the two countries.

"The bell is a universal symbol of communication and the ringing of a bell conjures up all sorts of images in the human spirit which perhaps other instruments can't create", explains Mr Hughes.

The bell's inscription reads:

"To the greater glory of God and in recognition of the enduring links between the city of London and the city of New York Forged in adversity - 11 September 2001"

It has taken almost two months to complete, and the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Lord Mayor of London and the US Ambassador to the UK were on hand to witness the bell being cast.

Unusual ingredients

The technique has remained more or less unchanged for centuries, and the mould itself is made using an ancient mix of ingredients, which include horse manure and goat hair.

It weighs 300 kilos.

Once it has cooled it is tuned, to produce a clear and consistent sound. This particular bell is tuned to "C".

The next time the bell is rung will be in America on September 11.

The bell will be installed at Trinity Church on Wall Street, which has a long relationship with Whitechapel.

It ordered its first bells from the foundry in the 18th Century.

The bell will be shipped over to New York in the next few weeks and placed on display at the church, in a special frame.

For the craftsmen here this represents one more historic commission, and a chance to further strengthen the bonds between the people of Britain and America.