When our chaps and chapesses were showing signs of battle fatigue I would dream up a divertissimo. Our church has a squat, solid, 13th century bell-tower, 12.5 feet square, of three floors/stages, the third, the bell chamber, has twin bell-openings in the East wall which has a big clasping staircase extension. This tower was once detached from the main church and was almost certainly a defensive fortress against the Welsh marauders. The original bells have their records lost in time, although we know five were re-cast in 1868, at which time one original was dated 1639 and from the Hereford bell-founder John Finch, showing his fleur-de-lys mark both before and after this date. With a good number of weddings taking place new ropes, oil and nails appear in the accounts almost annually for centuries. A little known, but seemingly not unusual, factoid is that during the first world war the bells continued to be rung - but with all women ringers. The present bells, probably with a degree of original metal, were recast, rehung and a sixth bell added in 1968, by Robert Stainbank, Founder. These bells are: 1. Treble S. Ethelbert. Blessing 2. S. Mary Glory 3. S. Peter Thanksgiving 4. S. David Honour 5. S. Nicholas Power. 6. Tenor. with a strike note of approx. A natural. Be unto our God for Ever and Ever. Amen So, an absolute minimum of eight centuries of solid history of worship.
Posted on: Tue, 09 Sep 2014 23:17:21 +0000
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