The South West tower of St Paul's Cathedral in London, England, houses Great Paul, the largest bell (16.5 tons) in the British Isles.
The traditional metal for these bells is a bronze of about 23% tin. Known as bell metal, this alloy is also the traditional alloy for the finest Turkish and Chinese cymbals. Other materials sometimes used for large bells include brass and iron.
The striking technique is employed worldwide for some of the largest tower-borne bells, because swinging the bells themselves could damage their towers.