Church Bells of Warwickshire

AVON DASSETT St John the Baptist 5, 7cwt in B

Grid Reference	151/412502
Postcode	CV47 2AH
Recording
Affiliation	Coventry DG
Peals	None
Sunday	None
Practice	None
Other information	Church is redundant. There is no electricity in the tower

History

The church stands on high ground on the east side of the steeply rising road leading from the village northwards to Fenny Compton. It consists of a chancel with a north organ-chamber and vestry, nave, north aisle, south porch, and west tower with a spire. The old church having become dilapidated was pulled down and rebuilt in 1868. Only a small portion of the ancient material was re-used. The discovery or survival of some small fragments of 12th-century stonework was evidently the reason for the new north arcade being designed in the 'Norman style'. The remainder of the fabric is of the early-14th-century style; to which period belong an archway, possibly the former chancel arch, reset at the east end of the north aisle, the east window of the chancel, reset in the west wall of the tower, and a recess replaced in the north wall of the chancel above a unique effigy of a 13th-century deacon. Otherwise the architecture is modern.

The old church at Avon Dassett had two bells in an enclosed weatherboarded turret over the west end of the nave. The turret had a pyramid roof and weathercock.

This church was declared redundant in May 1983. It is set in beautiful rural South Warwickshire. Owing to problems with the tower, caused by the fact that the church tower was "allegedly moving slowly down the hill", the bells were not available for ringing for many years. They are a complete ring by Blews and were installed at a cost of £220. Those who have rang on the bells did comment that tower movement made them surprisingly difficult to ring at times. All retain their canons and none have been turned. The installation itself remained in a fairly good condition given the lack of attention that it has not had for a good number of years.

Surveys completed in January 2002 by a steeplejack and structural engineer recommended against the ringing of the bells unless the tower is repaired. This repair work was completed during 2008 and some of the bells were swing chimed shortly afterwards.

(Click to enlarge image)

An article on the church and bells was printed in The Ringing World.

There is a "typo" in that the bells cost £220, and not £20 as stated. This equates to c. £26,000 in 2020 values.

The first quarter peal for 45 years, it being only the second known one on the bells, was rung on June 24th 2010.

They have never been pealed.

The inscriptions are given by Tilley and Walters' in their book, "The Church Bells of Warwickshire":

Details of the Bells

1 William Blews, Birmingham 1869 3½cwt 25.50" 1479.0Hz (F#-1c)
2 William Blews, Birmingham 1869 3¾cwt 26.75" 1310.5Hz (E-11c)
3 William Blews, Birmingham 1869 4½cwt 28.75" 1210.0Hz (D#-49c)
4 William Blews, Birmingham 1869 5¼cwt 30.50 1094.0Hz (C#-23c)
5 William Blews, Birmingham 1869 7cwt 33.50" 989.5Hz (B+3c)