[Bell Historians] Othery

[Paulkibby1 at a...]

I rang there a few years ago at the practice night (a tuesday) as i was 
stopping in nearby East Lyng with relations. The church has a stately perpendicular 
central tower with the stair turret in the northwestern corner. When I rang 
there I found the tenor very hard work, so I don't know about it actually being 
lighter than claimed but I was younger and less able to handle heavier bells 
well. The treble and tenor ropes fall about 18 inches distance from each other 
and the treble did feel quite light considering it was the treble of an 
"18"cwt 5.

The second and the third fall a normal distance away from each other, then 
the 4th is stuck right over the other side of the tower all on it's own. The 
third clapper bounced twice in the bell at every stroke because it was cracked, 
and the learner who was put on it seemed to be able to make it bounce even more 
when he hit the stay. He didn't seem to have much control over the rope or 
the bell but was left to ring on his own.

Upside down on one of the wide window sills in the ringing chamber is the 
corroded remains of the ancient clock, which bear a very close resemblance to the 
still functioning one in the tower at East Lyng. Earlier on in the day one 
of the ringers took me up the tower to look at the bells. They are hung in a 
low-side wooden frame but I don't remember much else beside wooden headstocks. 
All I remember of a notice in the ringing chamber detailing the bells was that 
the tenor was cast in 1820 and is in E.

One of the ringers told me that about 10 years ago the church architect 
noticed that there was nothing holding the central circular bell hatch surrounding 
in place. Ringing was then restricted, 5 people being the maximum allowed in 
the ringing chamber until a false floor was constructed 

Hope this helps..
Paul Kibblewhite
Winterton, Lincs
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