PILLERTON HERSEY St Mary the Virgin 5: 7-0-10 in Bb Minor.
| Grid Reference | 151/489299 |  |
| Postcode | CV35 0QJ | |
| Recording | ||
| Affiliation | Coventry DG | |
| Peals | None | |
| Sunday | None | |
| Practice | None |
History
The church stands on rising ground to the north of the small village. It consists of a chancel, with a north small modern vestry, nave, north and south aisles, and a west tower. The chancel leans to the south of the axial line of the nave. The chancel is of mid-13th-century date and one of the best local examples of its period. The nave was probably of the same date, and the lower part of the tower was perhaps added a little later in the same century. The tower was altered and heightened in the 15th century. The south aisle, shorter than the nave, was added probably c. 1400, but the south arcade of the nave, as well as the north arcade and aisle, dates from 1875, when much alteration and restoration was done.
A three - ringable until the 1970s. Rehung with new fittings in a composite frame by Henry Bond of Burford in 1901 at a cost of £48/10/0. The tenor is Bb-48c and the second and treble Db-53c and C-46c respectively. This means that the treble and second are 93c apart, just short of a semitone. Therefore the bells are the front 3 of a ring of 4. Let's call them Bb, C and Db! They do sound good. They hang in a composite frame, Henry Bond 1901 and have been quarter turned. (At a cost of £48/10/-)
A recent brief visit by the Guild BRF team showed that the tenor is loose on wheel and headstock and there is worm in the headstock where it needs to be tightened. There is also some worm in other stocks & stays too. It would be inadvisable to get tenor up even though it might last for a bit! The treble and second's wheels are need of minor repair. The clappers are at best "iffy"!
The bells have recenly been rehung in a new frame and augmentent to 5 by Taylors. A bell from Adelstrop, which have to been remodelled as a lighter ring, was installed as the second and a surplus bell that had turned out to be too flat for a chime in the United States were added. The bells remain in a minor key. The bells were removed from the tower in mid-January 2017. The plan was modified to include an all new metal 5-bell frame.
Details of the Bells
1 John Taylor & Co. 2016 3-2-25 26.00" 1360.7Hz (F-45c)
2 Abraham Rugdhall I 1711 3-3-17 27.00" 1212.7Hz (Eb-45c)
3 Henry Bagley, Chacombe 1668 4-1-19 29.50" 1071.9Hz (Db-58c)
4 Henry Bagley, Chacombe 1672 5-2-17 31.90" 1016.7Hz (C-50c)
5 Newcombe, Leicester 1602 7-0-10 35.40" 905.5Hz (Bb-50c)
Photo Gallery |
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| Looking East | Looking West | The Ringing Chamber |
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| Plan of the Church | ||
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| The Bells at Taylors 2017 The 3 bells as they arrived. |
The Bells at Taylors 2017 - three existing bells plus the Addlestrop Bell |
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| The 5 bells The bells blacked for final polishing |
Close-up of the Tenor | |
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| The 5 bells awaiting the fitting of their headstocks | Building the frame at Taylors It will be glavanised prior to installation |
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Rings P-R