Ancienne Fonderie de Cloches de Tellin

About the museum

The history of Tellin is closely tied to bell-founding. In 1832, Charles Causard, who had learned the trade from his uncle, cast a bell at the foot of the rebuilt church tower and then decided to set up a permanent foundry in the village. Tellin had several advantages: the stagecoach route between France and Germany, raw materials such as clay and charcoal, and a growing need for bells for new parishes.

From Charles Causard to Georges II Slégers, four generations of master founders ran the family business from 1832 to 1970. Thousands of bells were cast at the Val des Cloches; some ring as far away as Canada, Colombia or Korea, and most neighbouring villages have bells from Tellin. The seven-tonne bourdon bell of Maredsous Abbey is one example.

The non-profit association Tellin-Fonderie, founded on 25 May 2013, aims to promote this bell-founding heritage. The guided tour presents the stages of making a bell, from building the clay moulds to pouring the metal, in authentic installations: a reverberatory furnace, a wooden overhead crane, clay moulds and remarkable church clocks. The site also holds a specialist library on bell-founding.

Highlights

• Guided tour following the stages of making a bell
• Original installations: reverberatory furnace and wooden overhead crane
• Clay moulds and remarkable church clocks
• Film “Naissance d'une cloche”, shot while the foundry was still working
• A carillon that children can try out

Permanent exhibition

• Visite guidée de la fonderie et de son musée – Film about the foundry in operation, followed by a guided tour of the clay moulds, the reverberatory furnace, the wooden overhead crane and the church clocks.

Operated by

ASBL Tellin-Fonderie

Admission & discounts

All visits are guided. Payment by bank card is possible.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: no information
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The entrance has five wide steps; staff help visitors up them and a handrail is installed. Chairs may be offered along the route. Wheelchair users should contact the museum to discuss the options together. An adapted visit is possible for blind and partially sighted people and for groups with intellectual disabilities, by reservation. Toilets for people with reduced mobility. Dogs of a reasonable size are welcome on a lead.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Hands-on stations
• Stroller-friendly

The guided tour is adapted to all ages, young and old. Children can play a few well-known tunes on the carillon and receive a small surprise at the end. The building is easy to access with a pushchair (help with the five steps at the entrance). A quiet corner with an armchair is provided for breastfeeding, and bottles can be warmed.

Getting there & parking

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop
• Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi zone available to visitors at reception. Café with 60 seats (drinks and snacks), available by appointment during opening hours; tavern and library by reservation; picnicking allowed in the café with a drink. Shop open during opening hours. Payment by bank card.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit