St Wilfred 6; 7-0-12 in A (GF)
Grid Reference | 140/283906 | |
Postcode | CV7 8RD | |
Affiliation | Coventry DG | |
Peals | Felstead Database | |
Sunday | None | |
Practice | None |
History
One of many nice villages near to Coventry. The church is on the main road in OLD ARLEY, there being no ring of bells in New Arley. A nice compact church where you ring from the ground floor behind the organ. The church stands upon a slight mound. It is built of red sandstone and consists of chancel, aisleless nave with a south porch, and a west tower. The whole of the existing building appears to be of 14th-century construction, except portions of the north wall of the nave, which may be of 12th- or 13th-century date, and the modern porch, of half-timber construction with small three-light windows in each side and a tiled roof. The south wall of the nave has been refaced, its buttresses rebuilt, and portions of the window tracery removed. The whole church was restored in 1873
The H frame and fittings are by Taylor, 1929 – but the back three are fitted with wooden stocks and not cast iron ones as are the trebles. The three old bells retain their canons, the trebles being cast flat headed. The tenor has been long said to be in the key of Ab, but is actually A-12c.
The augmentation of the bells was reported in The Ringing World of October 4th 1929, with the name of the village misspelled!:
The first peal on the bells was not rung until 1960:
Entrance is through the main door on the south side of the church. There is some parking just below the church on the south side in a grassed area, plus careful parking on the road by the church.
Details of the Bells
1 John Taylor & Co, Loughborough 1929 2-3-14 23.50″ 1468.0Hz (F#-14c)
2 John Taylor & Co, Loughborough 1929 3-0-14 25.00″ 1309.5Hz (E-12c)
3 John Taylor & Co, Loughborough 1929 3-3-11 27.00″ 1167.0Hz (D-11c)
4 Robert Newcombe, Leicester c1570 4-0-03 27.875″ 1100.0Hz (C#-14c)
5 Hugh Watts II, Leicester 1625 4-3-26 30.75″ 965.0Hz (B-40c)
6 Edward Arnold, Leicester 1790 7-0-12 33.625″ 874.0Hz (A-12c)
Inscriptions
The inscriptions on the three old bells are given in Tilley and Walters’ book, “The Church Bells of Warwickshire”:
The three trebles are inscribed:
1 | GIVEN BY GEORGE HAZEL A.D. 1929 CHURCHWARDEN FROM 1903 |
2 | TO THE GLORY OF GOD AND IN REMEMBRANCE OF J. & S. STAIN FROM THEIR SONS 1929 |
3 | TO THE PRAISE OF GOD FROM THE PARISHIONERS 1929 |
Photo Gallery |
|
The Church – Looking West | The Church – Looking East |
The Ringing Chamber | The Chancel |
A Plan of the Church |