The Carillon Tower is a monument built nearly 100 years ago. The Museum is located on a number of floors within the tower and access between the floors is via a spiral staircase.
The museum is open from Good Friday until 30th September; every day except Monday. 1pm till 4.30pm. Organised tours are welcome throughout the year outside normal opening hours.
The ground floor museum is free; adults pay £1.00 (concessions 50p) to access the upper floors, the bell chamber and the balcony. Children can access all areas free of charge but must be accompanied by an adult on the upper floors.
"The Carillon Tower was designed by Walter Tapper in 1921 and building started the next year. The ground floor section was constructed from Portland stone up to a height of 16 feet, the middle section was built of red brick with stone dressings around the windows and the upper section was copper clad wood.
Bronze plaques on the the ground floor section commemorate the men of Loughborough who died in World War One and World War Two.
Entrance to the museum is through a pair of double doors. Once inside you will be greeted by one of the museums's team of volunteer guides.
The Yeomanry Room is on the first floor of the Carillon tower. It houses a collection dedicated to the Leicestershire Yeomanry which includes uniforms, regalia and various other items associated with the regiment.
The Yeomanry was first raised in 1794 and the words "Prince Albert's Own" were added in 1844, in honour of the then Prince Consort, husband to Queen Victoria. The words can be seen on the regimental drum in the picture on the right.
The regiment saw action in the First World War and the drum also bears a list of the Yeomanry's battle honours which include Ypres, Frezenberg and Amiens, among others.
The second floor room is called the Airborne Room because it contains a number of items that relate to the American 82nd Airborne Division, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment. The regiment was stationed in Quorn near Loughborough during 1944, prior to taking part in the Normandy landings.
The 505 PIR finally left Quorn later the same year when the regiment was required to parachuted into the area around Nijmegen in the Netherlands as part of Operation Market Garden.
There are two memorials in Quorn to the men of the 505 PIR who died in these operations.
The bells of the Carillon are played by the "carillonneur" who sits at the "clavier" on the third floor of the tower, below the bells. The word "clavier" is French in origin and simply means a keyboard.
The height of the Carillon tower is 151 feet (46 metres) and the top level is accessed by a spiral staircase of 138 steps. Once you've reached this level, the viewing balcony offers wonderful views over Loughborough and across the Soar Valley.
The bell chamber is also at the top of the tower, and is, of course, an important part of the Carillon. Indeed, it is what gives the Carillon it's name. The word is thought to come originally from Old French and describes a set of bells played by a keyboard or some other mechanism.
Carillons are frequently towers, sometimes associated with churches. Like church bells, each bell plays a different note, but unlike the familiar church peels, the bells are not free to swing and are not tolled by pulling on bell-ropes. Instead they are struck by "clappers" operated by a system of leavers."
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