Church Bells of Warwickshire

RADWAY St Peter 6, 5-0-26 in C (GF)

Grid Reference	151/368480
Postcode	CV35 0UE
Recording of the 5 Recording of the 6
Affiliation	Coventry DG
Peals	Felstead Database
Sunday	None
Practice	None

History

A pretty little church with a nice ring of 5. The parish church consists of a chancel (29 ft. by 15 ft.) with a north vestry and organ-chamber, nave (39½ ft. by 16 ft.), north and south aisles (9½ ft. wide), south porch and a west tower (11½ ft. square) with a spire. The walls are of local Edge Hill stone: some of it may be re-used material but the only ancient carved or moulded stones are two gargoyles reset in the west face of the tower. In the chancel against the north wall are the remains of a stone recumbent effigy of a priest in mass vestments, probably of the 15th century. The head is missing. The feet rested on a dog.

The whole installation was installed 1868, given in her will by Mrs Magan of Cheltenham, the cost being £280. This is contemporary with the time then the parish church was rebuilt in a different part of the village to the original church. The old church had a single bell cast by C & G Mears in 1845, weighing 6-3-3.

The bells were rehung with new fittings by Mears & Stainbank in the existing oak frame in 1949 at which time they were quarter turned but the canons were left in situ. A fairly long draft, ringing is around around the font, but the bells are not that difficult to ring.

The first peal on the bells was rung for The Coventry Guild in 1967:

The frequencies of the bells were taken in June 2013 by Chris Pickford and these show that the bells are, just, in the key of C and not B as has up to now been reported. A treble to make 6 was cast at Taylors on December 12th 2019, in memory of local ringer Sue Marshall, and was installed by Taylors in June 2020. During this augmenation, the exisiting 4th bell was turned in its pit and some other rope drops altered to improve the rope circle for six bells and also in anticipation of a ringing platform being installed.

The back 5 bells are all inscribed "ROBERT STAINBANK, FOUNDER, LONDON, 1868". The new treble in inscribed,

Park opposite the churchyard gate and enter via the south door into the church.  There is a toilet round the back of the tower. There is a Civil War Exhibition at the back of the church and opening the church door turns on the lighting for this.  One of the lights is in the ringing chamber, so don't be suprised if you find yourself in the spotlight!

Details of the Bells

1 John Taylor & Co, Loughborough 2019  3-0-04  23.00"  1716.0Hz (A-44c)
2 Robert Stainbank, London       1868  3-0-08  24.00"  1535.0Hz (G-37c)
3 Robert Stainbank, London       1868  3-1-08  24.50"  1362.0Hz (F-44c)
4 Robert Stainbank, London       1868  3-2-22  25.00"  1289.0Hz (E-39c)
5 Robert Stainbank, London       1868  4-1-02  27.00"  1149.0Hz (D-38c)
6 Robert Stainbank, London       1868  5-0-26  29.25"  1019.0Hz (C-46c)

Photo Gallery
The Church - Looking East	The Ground Floor Ringing Chamber	One of the Civil War Exhibition Cases
The new treble in foundry awaiting "fettlinge	The Treble being delivered in June 2020	The Treble's wheel being delivered
The frame for the new treble prior to its installation	The existing bells during the installation of the new treble	The Plan of the Installation
The new treble on its way up the tower	The new treble is installed