Church Bells of Warwickshire

BUDBROOKE, St Michael 3, 5½cwt

Grid Reference	151/SP258655
Postcode	CV35 8QL
Peals	None
Date Lost	1988
Other Information	Church Website

History

St Michael's was originally built in the 12th Century (c. 1122). It served the local village of Budebroc, which was situated to the north and east of the church building, and surrounding farms. In 1542 the village was wiped out by the Black Death.

By the mid-17th Century the building was in a rather poor state. The steeple had collapsed and the south aisle "much decayed". It was in the Victorian era that the last major structural changes took place and the north and south transepts were built. In 1877, the barracks for the Royal Warwickshire Regiment was created on the site of what is now Hampton Magna and St. Michael's became the battalion church. Largely on account of the Norman Arch in the Church building was classified as having a Grade II listing.

These bells are hung for swing chiming. The C17th frame has four pits. The bells sound 1, 3 and 4 of 4. They were formerly hung for ringing, but were hung dead in 1988, "for structural reasons".  The inscriptions are given in Tilley and Walters' book, "The Church Bells of Warwickshire":

Details of the Bells

1 Hugh Watts, Leicester                     1637  3cwt
2 Joseph Smith, Edgbaston                   1724  4cwt
3 Edward Newcombe & Hugh Watts, Leicester  c1600  5½cwt  31.875"