▁England ▁a ▁great ▁many ▁of ▁their ▁names ▁are ▁known ▁and ▁the ▁special ▁character ▁of ▁their ▁work ▁is ▁recogn izable . ▁Old ▁b ells ▁exist ▁in ▁the ▁French ▁c athed r als ▁of ▁Am iens , ▁Beau va is , ▁Chart res ▁and ▁elsewhere ; ▁in ▁Germany ▁at ▁Er furt , ▁C ologne ▁and ▁Hal ber stadt . ▁The ▁bell - found ing ▁industry ▁has ▁continued ▁all ▁through ▁the ▁centuries , ▁one ▁of ▁its ▁later ▁achiev ements ▁being ▁the ▁casting ▁of ▁" Big ▁Ben " ▁at ▁West min ster ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 8 , ▁a ▁bell ▁of ▁between ▁ 1 3 ▁and ▁ 1 4 ▁tons ▁in ▁weight . ▁ ▁In ▁more ▁recent ▁years , ▁bronze ▁has ▁to ▁some ▁extent ▁replaced ▁iron ▁for ▁rail ings , ▁bal con ies ▁and ▁st air cases , ▁in ▁connection ▁with ▁architecture ; ▁the ▁style ▁adopted ▁is ▁st iff ly ▁classical , ▁which ▁does ▁not ▁call ▁for ▁a ▁very ▁large ▁amount ▁of ▁orn ament ation , ▁and ▁the ▁metal ▁has ▁the ▁mer it ▁of ▁pleasant ▁appearance ▁and ▁considerable ▁dur ability . ▁ ▁Br ass ▁ ▁Br ass ▁is ▁an ▁al loy ▁composed ▁of ▁co pper ▁and ▁z inc , ▁usually ▁for ▁sheet ▁metal , ▁and ▁casting ▁in ▁the ▁proportion ▁of ▁seven ▁parts ▁of ▁the ▁former ▁to ▁three ▁of ▁the ▁latter . ▁Such ▁a ▁combination ▁sec ures ▁a ▁good , ▁brilliant ▁colour . ▁There ▁are , ▁however , ▁vari eties ▁of ▁tone ▁r anging ▁from ▁a ▁pale ▁le mon ▁colour ▁to ▁a ▁deep ▁golden ▁brown , ▁which