Church Bells of Warwickshire

BISHOP'S ITCHINGTON St Michael 5, 9-2-6 in Ab

bishops_itchington.jpg (71038 bytes)

Grid Reference:-
151/388577

Postcode:
CV47 2FN

Bell Audio:-
None Available

Guild Affiliation:-
Coventry DG

Peals Rung Here:-
Felstead Database

Sunday Ringing:-
10.00 - 1030
(except first in month)

Practice Night:-
Thursday
1900 - 2030

Church Website

History Of The Bells

A church in a pretty Warwickshire village, there has been a degree of doubt as to the ringability or otherwise of these bells for some time, but they were occasionally rung for weddings, etc. until 2000. There were cracks in the tower which had been a major worry for the church authorities. The author rang these bells in the mid-1990s without any cause for alarm; being in the band ringing just after the late Ron Dove!

A tower survey showed that a considerable amount of work, well over £250,000, needed to be completed and there were worries that ringing the bells is not safe and therefore ringing was stopped after the Millennium was rung in. The ringing room floor was reportedly simply sitting on corbels and the concern is that these might fail. Stonework had also fallen from the tower

The church was recently awarded a substantial grant and the tower had some major repair work in 2010.  The bells are now rung lower in the tower than previously, as the large clock case in the old ringing room prevented a good rope-circle. This is the third place from where they have been rung as they were initially a ground floor ring.  Relatively minor work was done on the bells to refurbish them ready for ringing in February 2011

Prior to the installation of this ring there was only one bell in the tower. This was recast by C & G Mears in 1845 from a box of old bellmetal which weighed 2-0-21. The new bell was 2-3-19. The bells were retuned and rehung with new fittings in the strengthened 1874 wooden frame by Taylors in 1938-9. At this point the canons were removed.

Details Of The Bells

1    John Taylor & Co, Loughborough    1874     4-1-22   28.25"  1280.0Hz (D#+49c)
2    John Taylor & Co, Loughborough    1874     5-0-13   30.25"  1138.0Hz (C#+45c)
3    John Taylor & Co, Loughborough    1874     5-1-19   31.50"  1073.0Hz (B#-43c)
4    John Taylor & Co, Loughborough    1874     7-0-16   34.50"   956.0Hz (A#-43c)
5    John Taylor & Co, Loughborough    1874     9-2-06   38.25"   853.0Hz (G#-46c)

Photo Gallery

bishops_itchington2.jpg (40857 bytes)
The Bells
bishops_itchington3.jpg (40857 bytes)
The old Ringing Room,
showing the large clock case