The original chime was installed in Holy Trinity in 1777. The Chime machine was built by a Joiner, E. Todd of Mytongate in Hull, and the barrel was pinned by a clockmaker, Joseph Hindley of York. It had several tunes. The chime was purely mechanical and had to be wound twice each day. It was a highly complex piece of machinery that needing oiling in one hundred different places on a regular basis. Perhaps unsurprisingly it fell into disuse but in 1865 was restored. You can see under the tower a sign which records the event in 1865. The restored chime lasted until 1898 when the old ring of eight bells in the tower on which the chime struck were removed and in 1899 were recast by bellfounders John Taylor and Co. of Loughborough.
In May 2013 a Chime of 15 bells (cast in 2012 by John Taylor and Co.) was installed comprising a diatonic scale of 12 bells and 3 semitones. The calling bell from our daughter church of Holy Apostles was incorporated into the installation. In January 2014, 8 additional bells (cast in October 2013 by John Taylor and Co.) were installed to form the present 23 bell carillon. This was dedicated as The Wilberforce Carillon. On 1st September 2016, 2 further bells were cast which were dedicated on 27th November 2016 and were installed in July 2017 to bring the carillon to 25 bells.
There is a computer control box which plays tunes on the carillon at particular times throughout the day. There is also a piano-style keyboard in the ringing chamber by which the carillon may be played.
