St Mary 6: 10-1-19 in G (GF)
Grid Reference | 151/344683 | |
Postcode | CV32 7LJ | |
Affiliation | Coventry DG | |
Peals | Felstead Database | |
Sunday | 0900-0930 | |
Practice | Tuesday 1930-2100 |
History
Though there is still quite some “village feel”, the church is now part of “Greater Leamington Spa”. The earliest part of the existing church is the south arcade of the nave, dating from the early 12th century. About the end of that century the tower was added. The aisles may have been rebuilt during the 13th century, to which period the south doorway belongs, but the windows, so far as they are, or reproduce, original work, belong to the 14th century, when the chancel appears to have been rebuilt and probably lengthened. The chancel was repaired by Lord Leigh in 1780, and about 1830 considerable repairs were done to the south aisle, the flat roof shown being replaced by an extension of the nave roof. A very extensive restoration was carried out in 1885, when the north arcade was completely rebuilt, both aisles extended eastwards to form vestries, the porch rebuilt, and a gallery at the west end and the flat ceiling in the chancel, which in 1834 cut off the tracery of the east window, removed.
A relatively new ring of 6, they were a ringable four before rehanging and augmentation by Taylors in 1971, the second being recast to become the fourth of the new ring. The new bells have flat tops and the canons for the older bells have been removed. The bells go well and are suitable for the less experienced ringer. The bells hang in a cast iron lowside frame and are fitted with cast iron headstocks, fixed steel gudgeons, self-aligning ball bearings and traditional wheels, stays and sliders.
The third and also the now recast 4th were cast at the Watts foundry. However, as Hugh Watts II died in 1643 either the date on the bells are both wrong, which is not likely, or more likely the bell was cast in his premises by a successor. This would possibly be his son, also called Hugh, or his foreman George Curtis who was described as a bellfounder in the burial record of 5th September 1650 at St Martin’s church Leicester (now the Cathedral), suggesting that there was still some bellfounding activity in the city at a time when the Civil War had meant a large reduction in the amount of work that was available.
The inscriptions of the original ring of 4 are given by Tilley and Walters in their book, “The Church Bells of Warwickshire”:
The Taylor bells are all inscribed: “RECAST *1971 *” on their waists with the foundry name on the shoulder. The fourth also has its original inscription reproduced. the restoration was briefly reported in The Ringing World of April 14th 1972:
The first peal on the bells was a Coventry DG one that was rung for the retirement of the Bishop of Coventry, Cuthbert Bardsley:
The entrance is from the south side and there is parking by the churchyard wall. There is a nice pub to the east of the church.
Details of the Bells
1 John Taylor & Co, Loughborough 1971 3-2-13 25.875″ 1304.0Hz (E-19c)
2 John Taylor & Co, Loughborough 1971 4-0-02 27.50″ 1161.0Hz (D-20c)
3 Sucessor to Hugh Watts II, Leicester 1646 4-2-20 29.50″ 1025.0Hz (C-36c)
4 John Taylor & Co, Loughborough 1971 5-2-20 32.00″ 975.0Hz (B-23c)
5 Hugh Watts II, Leicester 1626 8-0-17 35.00″ 869.0Hz (A-22c)
6 Hugh Watts II, Leicester 1640 10-1-19 39.50″ 772.0Hz (G-27c)