The Bell

Figure 1: One side view of The Bell on Foundry Walk.
Figure 2: Image “Voice of the City” from Art UK (left), Close-up view of Voice of the City from Broadbent website (right).
HENRY PENN

Voice of the City

The big bell-shaped art piece has been installed in the city centre, not far from Henry Penn’s foundry. In honour of the bell maker, the underpass between Lower Bridge Street and The Lido has been renamed Foundry Walk1. The sculpture also known as The Bell is located close to the site of Henry Penn’s (1685–1729) former foundry, where bells for Peterborough Cathedral and numerous other churches were produced.

Henry Penn was the most prolific bellfounder of his time. Penn’s life was short, only 44 years, but he toiled and cast bells for almost 100 churches and houses during his time.

Bells were very significant in towns and villages before we had current communication technology. The Curfew Bell, which was rung at dusk when people should be at home, was one of them2. A bell directs sound, issues a summons, and draws a community together. A bell attracts attention to itself, much as Peterborough has throughout history attracted the talents of five neighbouring counties and even farther away3.

Adrian Wright (a stonemason), Michael Lee (a historian), and John Merrill (a wood artist), all of Scribblestone, added more components to the bell. Considering the function of the bell during the time, the sculpture has been given the moniker Voice of the City.4 The cast bronze bell has the inscription ‘Henry Penn Made Me’

Please get in touch if you have any additional information about the Bell or Voice of the City that you would like to share. Thank you.

Contact
Figure 2: Close-up of the Bell ‘Voice of the City’
Figure 3: Henry Penn and his Bell Foundry, are featured on a metal panel.
Figure 4: Penn cast bells for 100 known locations in thirteen counties.

References:
1. Newsroom (2018) Bell Sculpture Unvield (online) Available at: https://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/news/bell-sculpture-unveiled-1060223 [Accessed: 20 April 2022]
2. Lee, M (nd) Henry Penn Peterborough Bell Founder (online) Available at: https://www.pennhenry.co.uk/ [01 April 2022]
3. Broadbent, S (2017) Broadbent Studio Voice of the City (online) Available at: https://broadbent.studio/-voice-of-the-city- [01 Oc 2022]
4. Broadbent, S (2017) Broadbent Studio Voice of the City (online) Available at: https://broadbent.studio/-voice-of-the-city- [01 Oc 2022]
Images
Figure 1: Fu, R (2022) Bell on Foundry Walk [image]
Figure 2 (left): Wright, Adrian|Broadbent, Stephen (2017) Voice of the City [image] Available at: http://www.artuk.org/artworks/the-voice-of-the-city-308357 [Accessed 22 October 2022]
Figure 2 (right): Broadbent Studio (2017) Voice of the City [image] Available at: https://broadbent.studio/voice-of-the-city [Accessed 22 October 2022]
Figure 3: Fu, R (2022) Closed up of Henry Penn bell [image]
Figure 4: Loco, L (nd) Henry Penn Metal Panel (image) Availabe at: https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/6877444 [Accessed 05 May 2022]
Figure 5: Fu, R (2022) 100 known locations in thirteen counties [image]