Bournville Carillon

Installed by Bournville Village Trust founder, George Cadbury in 1906, Bournville Carillon is one of the finest instruments of its kind in the world. This very rare and unusual musical instrument looks much like an organ and consists of 48 cast bronze bells, played serially to produce a melody that can be heard across the Village Green. The instrument and the carillon art are most commonly found in Belgium, Holland, France and even in the USA but are a rarity in the UK.

For our Heritage Open Day, the bells will be played at regular intervals from 1000 until 1600. Demonstrations will be for shorter periods but for a longer overall duration throughout the day. The best way to experience the sounds of the Carillon is to take a seat outside the Rest House.

There will be no tours of the tower this year due to health and safety issues.

This event is part of Bournville Heritage Open Day 2026 where over a dozen local historic sites will open their doors for free, with tours, activities, exhibitions and much more!

Timings

Saturday 12 September:

1000-1600

Location & directions

Bournville Junior School, Linden Road, Bournville, Birmingham, West Midlands, B30 1JY

Directions:

The best place to enjoy the bells of the Carillon is Bournville village green, bring a picnic or visit the local shops.

Contact on day:

Daniel Callicott

Telephone number:

+441214720199

Booking information

Pre-booking requirement:

Pre-booking not required

Accessibility details

Enjoy the sound of the Carillon bells from Bournville village green. Please note there will be no tours up the tower this year due to health and safety issues.

Additional information

This event is part of Bournville Heritage Open Day 2026 on Saturday 12th September. In conjunction with a wide array of other fantastic historic sites in the wider Bournville area. You can also enjoy the garden village created by George Cadbury. For full up to date details visit www.bvt.org.uk.

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