Grid Reference:-
151/315393
Postcode
OX15 5HU
Bell Audio:-
None Available
Guild Affiliation:-
Coventry DG
Peals Rung Here:-
None
Sunday Ringing:-
Not Known
Practice Night:-
Wednesday
1930 - 2100
History Of The Bells
Set in a very pretty part of South Warwickshire the church dominates the local area. The church is actually in Lower Brailes. A very large tower holds a very large ring of bells! Only St Buryan and Queen Camel are known to have heavier tenored rings of 6. The tenor is the heaviest bell ever cast by Blews of Birmingham and it must be one of their best. The canons have been removed from all of the bells. Up some point in the 19th century these bells were rung from the ground floor, taking 15 men to ring them! There is a sanctus bell in the gable over the chancel arch.
The third bell, a recast of a Matthew Bagley bell that was cast in Chipping Norton in 1752, has a medallion depicting St George and the Dragon cast into it. The old tenor was probably cast in the early 15th century in London by John Bird. It had been long cracked prior to recasting. The fourth is a recast of a 1671 bell by Richard Keene of Woodstock. At the 1877 restoration the bells were rehung in a new oal frame with new fittings by Hoper and Stokes of Woodbury, Devon at a cost of £200. This work was never very satisfactory and the bells were again rehung in 1894, with new fittings, by Frederick White of Appleton.
Even though the bells were again rehung, by Taylors in a two-tier frame lower in the tower in 1957, and that this frame was further strengthened in 1993 these bells are not the easiest to ring, (note the weight of the treble!) and outing organisers should avoid bringing relative learners here.
The 2nd is a listed bell, as are 1, 4 & 6, and another source has it cast by Henry Jordan in c1450. However, I have used the CCC data here. All the bells have had their canons removed.
The tower entrance is inside the church, enter by the south door, and there is on-street parking nearby.
Details Of The Bells
1 Richard Purdue, Banbury 1624 9-2-20 37.50" 870.0Hz 2 William Chamberlain, London c1440 10-3-16 39.75" 778.0Hz 3 William Blews, Birmingham 1877 13-3-04 43.50" 692.0Hz 4 Mears and Stainbank, London 1900 15-2-16 46.00" 649.0hz 5 Richard Keene, Woodstock 1671 22-2-06 51.00" 590.0Hz 6 William Blews, Birmingham 1877 29-0-19 58.00" 525.0Hz
Photo Gallery
None Available