[nabbers] Monkton, Devon

[David Cawley]

Subscribers to the lists may find it useful to know that when a church is
proposed for Redundancy the Commissioners seek advice from the Council for
the Care of Churches and from the Advisory Board for Redundant Churches at
an early stage.

The Council; produces a report (known colloquially as a PM Report) based on
a site visit from one of its officers, normally reinforced on certain
matters, e.g. Bells, by information provided by a member of its Bells
Committee. I provide that information, usually in some detail, and a
synopsis appears in the PM Report. I can tell you that Monkton, PM Report
No.1980, issued by the Council on 2nd September 2003 gave full details (i.e.
weights, notes, diameters, founders and dates) together with a note on the
fittings and frame, and added: "The five smaller bells are of 1868;
otherwise the entire installation is less than thirty years old. In the
event of closure and redundancy, the bells, fittings and framework should be
properly safeguarded; if the building is to be put to a use for which bells
are not appropriate, the entire ring, with its fittings and framework,
should be transferred to another church."

I understand that the Advisory Board took the same line.

As the church has clearly been made Redundant, it now passes into the
'waiting period', during which the Diocesan Board of Finance is legally
responsible for the security of the building and its bells and in due course
through its Redundant Churches Uses Committee advising the Bishop on their
final disposition.

All that seems rather clinical and cold. I can tell you that in the three
Dioceses where I have served as Bells adviser (Canterbury, Norwich and
Bristol) I and others saw that a good relationship was set up between the
local ringing Associations and the Diocese concerned so that we could give
good practical advice when disposal of or risk to contents was involved.
Others have done the same.

As Exeter is the home Diocese of Prebendary John Scott (who provided much of
the detailed information I forwarded) I would think that one can rest
assured that the bells of Monkton are far from forgotten.

DLC

----- Original Message -----
From: "David Bryant" <davidbryant at h...>
To: <bellhistorians at yahoogroups.com>; <nabbers at yahoogroups.com>;
<keltek at b...>
Sent: Monday, January 17, 2005 9:38 AM
Subject: [nabbers] Monkton, Devon


>
> It has been brought to my attention that a church at Monkton, Devon, is
> being advertised for sale with estate agents Stratton and Holborow. So far
> as I can gather, this is the one listed on Dove as having 6, 8-2-11 in A.
> Can anyone confirm whether it is in fact this church, and if so what is to
> happen to the bells.
>
> David
>
>
>
>
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>