[Bell Historians] G&J/Thaxted

[Susan & Christopher Dalton]

>From: "CHRIS PICKFORD" <c.j.pickford.t21 at b...>

> Having had me knuckles rapped for being subjective, I'm a bit nervous of
> expressing another opinion - but are Thaxted "a fine ring"?

[No! CD]

The G&J bells
> (3-5 and 7) are superb castings, but the ring is dominated by old bells of
> pretty inferior quality (one by Thomas Gardiner 1734 and three by Mears & Co
1778).
>
[Tonal quality, that is. Gardiner was a good moulder but an execrable
designer and his hum notes are in my experience always desperately sharp.
And - exceptionally - the G & J seventh is not "Simpson"-tuned either.
Subjectively or objectively, the back three bells all sound ghastly.

The best thing at Thaxted is the oak frame, which was installed with the
original ring of eight in 1734. CD]