St Anne :, 7-0-5 in Bb
Grid Reference | 139/075836 | |
Postcode | B13 8DL | |
Affiliation | St Martin’s Guild | |
Peals | Felstead Database | |
Sunday | 1030-100 | |
Practice | Tuesday 1900-2100 |
History
The church was was built in 1874 at the sole expense of Miss Rebecca Anderton of Wake Green, Moseley, at a cost of around £7,000. It stands on a hilltop site and its spire is visible from all around. The church was designed by Frederick Preedy, architect, and Collins of Tewkesbury was the builder. Work began in September 1873. The church was consecrated on 22 September 1874 and a parish was assigned from Moseley in February 1875. The building was extended in 1897 and 1922. It suffered severe wartime damage when a bomb fell on the church on 3 December 1940, and in 1946 the roof collapsed. The church was rededicated in 1948 after its post-war restoration.
Shortly after the church was completed, three old bells from St. Mary’s (q.v.) and one new bell were hung in the tower by Barwell in a 5 bell frame. Miss Anderton paid for this work as well. In 1882 Barwell’s submitted quotations for re-casting the ancient bells, replacing the old fittings and providing a new tenor bell, all at a cost of £107. This work was never completed.
In 2000 the bells were retuned, a redundant bell from Bagworth in Leicestershire added and the ring rehung for swing chiming. The work was undertaken by Hayward Mills Associates at a cost of £24,380. This was reported in The Ringing World of January 26th 2001:
(Click to enlarge)
The project to turn the chime into a ringing peal was publicised in The Ringing World of November 18th 2005:
In 2008 the chime was turned into a ringing peal of 6, with the tenor replaced by a new bell and the previous one kept as a service bell. A bell cast by Warner in 1904, inscribed J WARNER & SONS LONDON 1904, from All Saints, Grimsby was identified by the Keltek Trust as being suitable to become the treble. The treble has had its canons removed and the tenor was cast with a flat top; the middle four bells retain their canons. The project had been delayed for a while as telecoms equipment was being installed in the tower.
The first peal on the bells was rung on the bells in 2011:
Currently, there is a project to replace the three trebles with modern true-harmonically tuned bells. The Keltek Trust has identified the former trebles from Whetstone as the replacements for the current trebles. The project is subject to fundraising and faculty.
Details of the Bells
1 John Warner & Sons, Cripplegate 1904 1-3-07 20.56″ 1606.5Hz (G+42c)
2 Hugh Watts II, Leicester 1638 2-0-24 22.50″ 1425.0Hz (F+34c)
3 John Martin, Worcester 1650 2-3-06 24.75″ 1271.5Hz (Eb+37c)
4 William Brooke, Bromsgrove 1740 3-1-16 27.125″ 1200.5Hz (D+38c)
5 James Barwell, Birmingham 1874 4-3-26 30.00″ 1072.5Hz (C+42c)
6 Hayward Mills Associates, Nottingham 2008 7-0-05 33.00″ 954.5Hz (Bb+31c)
Service Bell
George Oldfield, Nottingham 1665 4-0-16 30.25″ 953.0Hz (Bb+38c)
Inscriptions
- J WARNER & SONS LONDON 1904.
- (Brasyer shield) GOD (acorn border) SAVE (acorn border) THE (acorn border) KING (acorn border) 1638 (acorn border) / (arabesque border)
Soundbow: (three coins) - + IESVS (vine border) BEE (border) OVR (border) GOOD (border) SPEED (border) 1650 (border) (John Martin’s large heart mark)
- SAMUEL SMITH IUNIER * CHURCH WARDEN * 1740 (ornament) WM BROOKE CAST ME (Arabesque border)
- JAMES BARWELL FOUNDER. BIRMINGHAM 1874.
- HAYWARD MILLS [space] NOTTINGHAM 2008
Waist: TO THE MEMORY OF ALFRED RICHARD AND MARGARET MAY / WORTHINGTON OF STEVENAGE HERTFORDSHIRE / DONATED BY THEIR SON MICHAEL AND HIS WIFE TESSA WHO MARRIED IN / THIS CHURCH ON 27TH FEBRUARY 1982
Opposite: ROYAL EIJSBOUTS