WESTMINSTER (KNIGHTSBRIDGE)
IMPERIAL COLLEGE, THE QUEEN'S TOWER
 

 

 

 
A ring of 10 bells
Tenor: 38-1-15 in D flat
Frame: 1893 John Taylor (iron & timber)
Retuning: Never subsequently retuned
Rung from upstairs ringing room
Access: 11 stages with the ringing room on the 7th (see below).
Grid Ref: TQ267793
Peals
¯ An extract from a peal on Christmas Eve, 2006 of Stedman Caters (Dickon Love's)
(recorded by James White)
& "The Bells of the Imperial Institute"

DETAILS OF THE BELLS

Bell

Weight

Diameter

Note

Cast

 Founder

1

 6-2-16 29½" F

1893

 John Taylor & Co.

2

 7-2-21 30½" E flat 1893 John Taylor & Co.

3

 8-1-5 33" D flat 1893 John Taylor & Co.

4

 9-0-19 34" C 1893 John Taylor & Co.

5

 10-3-14 37½" B flat 1893 John Taylor & Co.

6

 13-1-18 40⅝" A flat 1893 John Taylor & Co.

7

 16-2-19 44½" G flat 1893 John Taylor & Co.

8

 20-2-24 47½" F 1893 John Taylor & Co.

9

 27-0-0 52½" E flat 1893 John Taylor & Co.

10

 38-1-15 59⅜" D flat 1893 John Taylor & Co.
1.

ELIZ M. MILLAR GAVE ME THE LOUGHBOROUGH TAYLORS MADE ME

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MAUD
2.

ELIZ M. MILLAR GAVE ME THE LOUGHBOROUGH TAYLORS MADE ME

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VICTORIA
3.

ELIZABETH M. MILLAR GAVE ME THE LOUGHBOROUGH TAYLORS MADE ME

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LOUISE
4.

ELIZABETH M. MILLAR GAVE ME THE LOUGHBOROUGH TAYLORS MADE ME

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GEORGE
5.

ELIZABETH M. MILLAR GAVE ME THE LOUGHBOROUGH TAYLORS MADE ME

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ALBERT VICTOR
6.

ELIZABETH M. MILLAR GAVE ME THE LOUGHBOROUGH TAYLORS MADE ME

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ARTHUR
7.

ELIZABETH M. MILLAR GAVE ME THE LOUGHBOROUGH TAYLORS MADE ME

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ALFRED
8.

ELIZABETH M. MILLAR GAVE ME THE LOUGHBOROUGH TAYLORS MADE ME

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ALEXANDRA

THE PEAL OF WHICH THIS BELL FORMS ONE
WAS BY THE SPECIAL PERMISSION OF
THE PRINCESS OF WALES
NAMED AFTER HER ROYAL HIGHNESS
9.

ELIZABETH M. MILLAR GAVE ME THE LOUGHBOROUGH TAYLORS MADE ME

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ALBERT EDWARD
10.

ELIZ. M. MILLAR GAVE ME THE LOUGHBOROUGH TAYLORS MADE ME

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VICTORIA R.I.
1837 - 1887
 

DEDICATIONS OF THE BELLS

The bells were named after Queen Victoria and members of her family, as follows:

Edward and Alexandra's living children:

1

 Maud 1869 - 1938
2 Victoria 1868 - 1935
3 Louise 1867 - 1931
4 George (later George V) 1865 1936
5 Albert Victor 1864 1892

Queen Victoria's children:
6 Prince Arthur William Patrick Albert 1850 - 1942 (Edward's brother)
7 Prince Alfred Ernest Albert 1844 - 1900 (another brother of Edward)
8 Princess Alexandra (wife of Edward) 1844 - 1925.
9 Prince Albert Edward (later Edward VII) 1841 - 1910.

(A further brother, Leopold George Duncan Albert 1853 - 1884 died before the bells were cast)

And the Monarch herself:
10 Queen Victoria 1819 - 1901.

ACCESS
 
Staircase Type No of steps

Position
Ground floor to balcony Octagonal, around the walls 60

 
Balcony level to first room Metal spiral 29

•
First room to second room Metal spiral 24

•
Second room to third room Stone spiral 29

•
Third room for fourth room Stone spiral 44
•
Fourth room to tank level Stone spiral 23
•
Tank level to ringing chamber Stone spiral 30
•
Ringing chamber to belfry Stone spiral 28
•
Belfry to viewing gallery Metal spiral 30
•
Viewing gallery to base of dome Metal spiral 28
•    •
Base of dome to top of dome Wooden spiral 53

  • •
There are 239 steps from the ground floor to the ringing room, and 378 to the top of the dome.
 

HISTORY
1887 Building of the Imperial Institute, designed by Thomas Edward Collcutt FRIBA began.
1893 A ring of 10 bells was cast by John Taylor & Co. originally as a gift to Queen Victoria from the Australian millionairess Elizabeth M. Millar of Melbourne. They were dedicated to the Princess of Wales (as is recorded on the 8th Bell) and thus known as the "Alexandra Peal".
1893

10th May

 The Imperial Institute was opened by Queen Victoria and the bells were rung by the College and Cumberland Youths.

GALLERY
The 8th inscription. The tower is moves considerably when the bells are rung.  The movement is closely followed by engineering students in the College. The inscriptions in the some of the tower.
 
The founder's mark. The frame layout.