[Bell Historians] Tower arch rope grooves

[David Bagley]

There are some at Pershore Abbey on the south transept archway which are
visable from the cage. These must be some 60' up.

David.



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "David Beacham" <david1.beacham at v...>
To: <bellhistorians at yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Wednesday, March 31, 2004 9:01 AM
Subject: Re: [Bell Historians] Tower arch rope grooves


> I've noticed such grooves in tower arches, too. They are not that uncommon
> in locations where the sexton could both toll a funeral bell and, at the
> same time, by dragging the rope against the arch, poke his head out to
watch
> for the arrival of the procession. In times past, everybody was buried in
> the churchyard (no cremations); also a higher death rate (especially of
> infants) and the bell would have been tolled for all of them.
>
> That's my theory, anyway.
>
> David B.
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Karl Grave" <kgrave at f...>
> To: "Bellhistorians" <bellhistorians at yahoogroups.com>
> Sent: Tuesday, March 30, 2004 11:05 PM
> Subject: [Bell Historians] Tower arch rope grooves
>
>
> Hi
> I was on an outing last Saturday & noticed something I'd never seen
before.
> At two separate churches there were tremendous grooves cut deep into the
> stone either side of the top of the arch between the tower base and the
nave
> (on the tower side).
> They could only have been cut by bell ropes pulled very tight against the
> stonework, probably over a period of decades. I estimated three separated
> ropes might have been involved. The ropes obviously fell from the tower
> above but the ringers had clearly walked out into the nave pulling the
ropes
> with them. WHY??
>
> The only theory I could come up with is that by bracing the rope against
the
> stone the bell could have been held over the balance without a stay.
> Especially if the ropes were then tied to something in the church. It must
> have caused endless rope breakages.
>
> Anyone got a better theory?
>
>
> Karl Grave
> Bingley, "The Throstle Nest of England"
> Freeserve AnyTime - HALF PRICE for the first 3 months - Save £7.50 a month
> www.freeserve.com/anytime
>
>
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>
>