Grid Reference:-
139/163711
Postcode:
B94 5NX
Bell Audio:-
Hear the bells
Guild Affiliation:-
St Martins Guild
Peals Rung Here:-
Felstead Database
Sunday Ringing:-
1025 - 1100
Practice Night:-
Thursday
2000 - 2100
History Of The Bells
Be careful with your map reading when looking for the church; it in not in the main part of the village. It is situated a good mile to the north, towards Hockley Heath, past the Cricket Club and a well known wood yard that has wood stacked on the verge of the road. There is a signpost off the B4439 to the church. Coming from Hockley Heath it is off to the right just after the last turn left to Packwood, Knowle being signposted to the left.
There is a room on the side of the church under which you can walk to find the tower door and short almost vertical ladder to get to the ringing room. At one time the tower was detached from the rest of the church.
The frame and fittings are by Taylors 1963, at which time the treble and tenor (previously 11-0-11) were recast and a new treble added to make the ring up to six. The recast bells had been originally cast by William Mears of Whitechapel in 1784. The third was cast by an interant founder, Bryan Eldrige who hailed from Chertsey. He cast a number of bells for churches in the county between 1656 and 1658. The fourth is likely to have been cast by Robert le Belyetere.
Prior to the 1963 restoration the then five bells were hung in an old wooden frame of "hollow square" design with four pits around the walls, with the treble hung in the middle of the frame, swinging diagonally north-west to south east, with fittings dating from an c.1897 restoration by Charles Carr of Smethwick. The new bells were cast without canons, but the old ones retain their canons. The three old bells are "listed" and have been quarter turned.
There is some parking on the road by the church.
Details Of The Bells
1 John Taylor & Co, Loughborough 1963 3-3-20 26.00" 1305.0Hz (E-18c) 2 John Taylor & Co, Loughborough 1963 4-0-10 27.50" 1163.0Hz (D-17c) 3 Bryan Eldridge II, Coventry 1656 5-0-02 30.00" 1036.0Hz (C-17c) 4 Worcester foundry, c1440 6-1-15 32.25" 978.0Hz (B-17c) 5 Hugh Watts I, Leicester 1600 7-2-06 35.00" 871.0Hz (A-18c) 6 John Taylor & Co, Loughborough 1963 10-1-02 38.625" 777.0Hz (G-17c)
Photo Gallery
None Available