Ely Diocesan Association
of Church Bell Ringers
Tower Tour
The church bells are rung from the base of the tower. The old 17th century faceless church clock can be found here. For more information on the clock please take a look at this report .
On the wall is a memorial to Gilbert Symonds, a bell ringer who died on June 29th, 1758 aged 63. The memorial reads:
| “ | Here lieth one Who in y time of Life Loved good Company well and hated ftrife Was a Companion good to thofe he knew, And often would put forth a Jeft or two; Took such delight in Ringing of a Bell That in y Art but few could him Excell All things below with him are done & paft, Death took him off, his knell is rung at laft. | ” |
Access to the tower is via the small tower door. After 34 steps we reach the sound chamber. There is not much to see in this room but it does have a wonderful old studded door.
A further 16 steps takes us to the bells. There are 6 bells in the tower. The peal was restored and hung with new fittings in a new frame in 1985 by John Taylor & Co (Bellfounders) Ltd., Loughborough, Leics, England, LE11 1AR.
The following notes were made during the refurbishment.
| “ | No.3 is a very old bell (1609), of unusual shape, and lacks resonace. | ” |
| “ | No. 4 Bell has the inscription: "Thos. Newman made me 1723, W Lawsell & F Frost Church Wardens". This was renewed when the bell was re-cast by Taylor's of Loughborough, 1985, with the addition of "In memoriam G.L.K M.E.K" (Sir Geoffrey & Lady Keynes, who lived in Lamas House). It was the old clock bell. | ” |
| Bell | Maker | Age | Mass (hundredweight) | Mass (Kg) | Note (all slightly sharp) | Nominal Frequency (Hz) | Diameter (inches) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Treble | William Dobson | 1820 | 5-1-16 | 273.97 | D | 1200 | 29.75 |
| 2 | John Draper | 1609 | 4-1-11 | 220.90 | C | 1082 | 29.625 |
| 3 | John Draper | 1609 | 5-2-23 | 289.85 | Bb | 958 | 32.75 |
| 4 | John Taylor | 1985 | 7-1-16 | 375.57 | A | 899 | 39 |
| 5 | William Hull | c1750 | 8-0-0 | 406.42 | G | 807 | 37.75 |
| Tenor | Thos. Gardiner | 1727 | 13-1-1 | 673.58 | F | 722 | 43 |
Hundredweight is an old English imperial measurement normally used to convey the
mass of a bell. To understand how to read the mass in hundred weight you need to
know the following:
14 Pounds (lbs.) equal 1 stone.
2 Stones make a Quarter (qtr), so a Quarter is 28 Lbs.
4 Quarters equal a Hundredweight (cwt), which is 112 lbs.
20 Hundredweight make an imperial ton (1015Kg).
The mass is shown as hundredweight-quarter-pounds.
For example, the trebles weight in lbs is (5 * 112) + (1 * 28) + 16 = 604 lbs
Another 23 steps (73 in total) takes us to the top of the tower to a lovely view over Brinkley.
This Page was last updated on 03/04/06
