History Of The Bells

These bells are hopelessly unringable, but the church is only a few hundred yards or so from a ringable, and rung, six at Henley in Arden. It is part of the same benefice. Follow the road down the side of Henley church in order to find the church, you can park by the church hall. The bells hang in a medieval frame with thin replacement timbers, early C18 fittings and C19 wheels; they sound the notes F, E and C#. The frame has been considerably altered during its lifetime and the bells "swing" East to West in parallel pits. All bells have their canons retained, (the second has three canons remaining - and three false iron ones) and none have been turned.

Details Of The Bells

1  Unknown                   c1350   3cwt    23.00"  1414.5Hz (F+22c)
2  Unknown                   c1350   3¾cwt   26.00"  1346.0Hz (E+36c)
3  Joseph Smith, Edgbaston   1711    5cwt    29.00"  1110.5Hz (C#+3c)

History Of The Bells

A potentially ringable three. In an old, two level, wooden frame, the treble being in the upper frame. The bells were rehung with new ringing fittings by Taylors in 1928 at which time they were turned on their headstocks and the tenor's canons were removed.

A report by Taylors in 1993 says that the soundbows are practically unmarked, suggesting that they have not been rung that often. The canons remain on the trebles, but have been removed from the tenor. An Ellacombe chiming apparatus was installed in 1971 owing to fears for the safety of the spire, since repaired.?Taylor's have in recent years been invited to inspect the bells and give advice as to how they may be put into a ringing condition. The tower is small and augmentation would not be straightforward.? As it is the frame is arranged diagonally to make full use of the window openings to gain extra space.

The bells have been inspected by the Coventry DG Bell Restoration Team and it is recommended that they not be rung until the metalwork is replaced.

Details Of The Bells

1    Thomas Newcombe, Leicester        c1580    3-0-15   25.50"  1207.0Hz (D+47c)
2    Thomas Newcombe, Leicester        c1580    4-2-16   28.75"  1077.0Hz (C+50c)
3    Taylor & Sons, Oxford              1827    5-1-12   32.50"   959.0Hz (Bb+49c) 

History Of The Bells

This tower is in part of Coventry. It is NOT the brick built tower on Foleshill Road, this containing a single bell. It is further away from the city centre. Going up Foleshill Road you come to a big roundabout with a "ribbon" prominently in the middle of it; Coventry once making much money from their manufacture. Continue away from the city centre and turn right at the next roundabout, down the side of Courtaulds, (look for the very tall brick chimney) by a United Reformed church/church hall - towards Bell Green. Follow the road round, over the canal and you come to it on the left.

These bells are unringable. There is an ancient frame and fittings, the wheels being sawn off and the stocks braced to frame to prevent movement. Ellacombe chimes have been fitted. There is a rope attached to the tenor clapper which has a muffle on one side and is used for funerals. The trebles are very nearly the same note, the tenor a minor third below. The organ occupies the high ground stage of the tower and there is a low clock-room between this and the bells.

Details Of The Bells

1   Hugh Watts II, Leicester   1635   4½cwt  29.00"
2   Hugh Watts II, Leicester   1616   6cwt   32.125"
3   Hugh Watts II, Leicester   1616   7½cwt  34.50"

History Of The Bells

These bells are unringable, the wheels were removed by Taylors in 1957. They are stored in the bell chamber. They are now sounded via an Ellacambe chiming apparatus. The frame is an old one, likely to have been made by William Ragg in 1657.

Details Of The Bells

1   John Taylor & Son, Loughborough   1850   4-0-2
2   Bryan Eldridge, Coventry          1657   4cwt
3   Bryan Eldridge, Coventry          1657   5cwt   29.75"

History Of The Bells

These bells are unringable due to tatty wheels and heavily-worn un-quarter-turned bells. Frame & fittings are by George Watson of Napton - 1832. They are all maiden bells, retaining their canons and cast in crown staples. They only just survived a fire in 1879. There is a chiming manual in the first floor of the tower, made by the Vicar's Warden, Thomas Walker, in 1919.

Details Of The Bells

1   Hugh Watts, Leicester   1624   6cwt  
2   Hugh Watts, Leicester   1623   7½Cwt  
3   Hugh Watts, Leicester   1616   9½cwt   38.125"

History Of The Bells

None have been 1/4-turned; full-circle ringing is not advised. An unusual feature is that the stays are slotted over a T-headed bolt at their lower ends and pass through a flat ring held under the same nut as the gudgeon tail bolt. Fittings date from the rebuilding of the church in 1876. The bells hang in a western timber turret. They are in a two level frame, treble above the others, that was constructed at the same time as the turret was built, 1875, thought at one time to probably be by Barwell, but now more likely to have been by the local builder.  The two trebles' notes are very close together, both approximately being F.

Details Of The Bells

1. Unknown, Long-waisted     c1549  4cwt   26.50"  1402.0Hz  (F+6c)
2. John Martin, Worcester     1662  4½cwt  28.00"  1371.5Hz  (F-32c)
3. John Martin                1674  5cwt   30.50"  1043.0Hz  (C-6c)

History Of The Bells

These bells are unringable due to problems with the tower and badly positioned Ellacombe hammers. The simple wooden beam framework was probably installed when the tower was rebuilt in 1880, but the fittings are older, early C19. An Ellacombe type chiming apparatus was installed, possibly when the tower was rebuilt.

This well cared for church can be seen from the A46 at the junction for Warwick and Leek Wootton, but it cannot be reached from it! Get a map and come to it from the Leamington Spa direction.

Details Of The Bells

1   John Warner, London            1863    3½cwt  26.00"     
2   John Warner, London            1863    4½cwt  28.00"
3   William Chamberlain, London   c1460    6cwt   31.375"

History Of The Bells

A three - ringable until 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 C-47c 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 shows 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"!

Some locals are being trained to chime by local ringers and this might generate some interest in a full restoration, one would hope.

Details Of The Bells

1    Henry Bagley, Chacombe            1668     6cwt   29.50"  1075.0Hz (D-53c)
2    Henry Bagley, Chacombe            1672     6¾cwt  32.25"  1019.0Hz (C-46c)
3    Newcombe, Leicester               1602     8cwt   35.25"   907.0Hz (Bb-48c)

History Of The Bells

These are 3 bells in the original chapel that are hopelessly unringable. Indeed it is probable that they were only ever swing chimed. They have only been used in conjunction with the clock since 1861.

Details Of The Bells

1   Thomas Mears, London   1835    ¾cwt
2   Thomas Mears, London   1835   1¼cwt
3   Thomas Mears, London   1835   2½cwt

Click here for details of the chime in the new chapel.

History Of The Bells

These bells are unringable due to poor frame design which leaves one truss almost free-standing. Fittings are by White of Appleton in the late 19th century. They hang in an oak frame by Frederick White installed in the late 19th century.  They have been quarter turned and retain their canons.

Details Of The Bells

1   Newcombe, Leicester         1608   5¾cwt  31.00"
2   Hugh Watts II, Leicester    1622   7cwt   33.375"
3   Hugh Watts II, Leicester    1620   9cwt   37.00"

History Of The Bells

These bells are unringable. One corner of frame being was unsupported where a foundation beam was chopped away for boiler flue, though this has been remedied recently with an R.S.J. Fittings are by Barwell 1880s when they strengthened the frame and rehung the bells.  A recent survey indicated that the frame has some movement but the gudgeons on the treble, and possibly other bells, require new bolts - the treble has a loose gudgeon. The frame generally requires tightening/strengthening and gudgeons etc before ringing. They are chimed regularly for service.

Details Of The Bells

1   Matthew Bagley III, Chacombe   1779   3½cwt   24.25"
2   Matthew Bagley III, Chacombe   1779   4cwt    27.00"
3   Matthew Bagley III, Chacombe   1779   5cwt    28.50"

History Of The Bells

These bells are unringable due to the fragility of ancient fittings. They hang in an oak frame probably from the second or third quarter of the Seventeenth century. There are three parallel pits and the bells all swing East to West. From North to South the bells hang in the pits in the order 1, 3 then 2. Roping of the bells means that they are a clockwise three. The bells still have their canons and have not been turned.

Details Of The Bells

1   Bryan Eldridge, Coventry   1657     6¾cwt  33.625"
2   Newcombe, Leicester        c1600?   8cwt   36.00"  
3   Hugh Watts II, Leicester   1629    10cwt   38.75"

History Of The Bells

THESE BELLS ARE BOTH UNRINGABLE AND UNSAFE. The bells were last rehung in 1881. The frame design is poor. All bells retain their canons and have not been turned. Notes, treble to tenor, are E, D and B

Details Of The Bells

1   Bryan Eldridge, Coventry   1658   2¾cwt   23.75"
2   Thomas Eayre I, Kettering  1730   3-1-15  25.75"
3   Hugh Watts II, Leicester   1617   4½cwt   29.50"

History Of The Bells

These bells are unsafe. The mediaeval bell was rehung on ball bearings by Mears and Stainbank in the 1950s and the rest are on fittings from the 1843. The installation is by William Watson of Napton with the same problem as his other work at Marton: the tenor is unturned but is heavily worn. The wheels are almost complete, but the bearings are heavily worn. At first sight these bells appear perfectly ringable; it is only the state of the bearings and the tenor's clapper-wear that prohibit this. Don't be misled by Church Bells of Warkwickshire's claim of a one-ton tenor - it's only about 8cwt!

Details Of The Bells

1   Henry Bagley I, Chacombe      1642   5cwt    30.00"
2   Robert Mellour, Nottingham   c1500   6½cwt   33.25"
3   Hugh Watts, Leicester         1617   c8cwt   35.875"

History Of The Bells

These bells are hopelessly unringable. The frame is a Bagley installation from time of treble, no pulleys are present. The bells, all being maiden castings, are in the key of A major. The church has now passed into private ownership, Wroxall Abbey Estates and they have renamed it as "Wren's Chapel". Its ministers are from the Free Methodist Church in Solihull.

Details Of The Bells

1   Henry Bagley I, Chacombe    1664   5cwt   29.00"
2   Newcombe, Leicester        c1600   7cwt   33.75"
3   Thomas Bullisdon, London   c1500   9cwt   38.00"