All the “great bells” are either hour/chime bells or the bass bells in carillons.  In Britain they have wonderful names – Big Ben (Westminster), Great Peter (York), Little John (Nottingham – where else?) and Great Abel (Manchester).

The heaviest tuned bell in the world is The Olympic Bell which was “rung” by Bradley Wiggins at the Opening Ceremony of the 2012 London Olympics.  It weighs a whopping 22 tons. By contrast, the heaviest change-ringing bell in the world is the tenor at Liverpool Cathedral which only weighs just over 82 cwt (or 4 tons)

There is a comprehensive list of heavy bells around the world at www.towerbells.org which also gives details of where the bells are located and when they can be heard.

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