[Bell Historians] Norwich, St.Lawrence

[David Cawley]

St Catherine's: As Alan says, the tower is just not suitable in plan, elevation or situation to take them as a ring. They were hung by M&S at St Catherine's when the present church was built in 1937 after thirty years on the floor of St Mary Coslany following the removal of the (remains of) the upper stage of that tower.

St Andrew's: the ropes fall in the order 1-3-2-7-10-5-4-6-9-8. The first peal of London Major was rung there, bad enough without the back eight ropes falling 1-5-8-3-2-4-7-6! Otrher such examples in East Anglia included Beccles and Horham. Both since rehung. Last ringing at St Andrew's was 1902.

St George Tombland. Rehung in 1975 in the old frame, for chiming. I was DAC Adviser on Bells for Norwich at the time and also the NDA's first Technical Adviser. It was quite by chance that the money became available simply to hang them 'dead' on the old frame. The NDA at the time had no significant bell fund, and like St Andrew's the tower needed extensive work.They are a pleasant sounding minor five, probably not rung in the last 150 years.  

Alan: were you the lad who was chiming at Mile Cross in Stanley Plunkett's time - i.e. when I was curate of Sprowston?

DLC
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Alan F. Ellis 
  To: bellhistorians at yahoogroups.com 
  Sent: Tuesday, July 03, 2007 3:33 PM
  Subject: Re: [Bell Historians] Norwich, St.Lawrence


  St. Catherine's Mile Cross has the original six bells from St. Mary at Coslany.  They are hung dead and are chimed - using an Ellacombe system.  They were moved in the late 1930s early 1940s due to the unsafe tower at St. Mary Coslany.  

  These bells will never be hung for ringing at St. Catherine's as it is a 1936 brick church with the tower over the chancel crossing   I used to chime them when I was a choir boy there numerous years ago. :-)

  St. Andrew's church has a ten hung five, with three above and two above them.  The rope order is peculiar although I can never remember it.  They were last rung around 1900.   The tower is reported to be unsafe as are the three frames!  I guess that it would be possible to rehang the bells and repair the tower at some significant cost.

  I understand that the five at St. George Tombland are capable of being rehung at a reasonable cost, although when they were last rung is unknown to me.  Probably 19th century.

  Hopefully someone can add to this bit of info, which is possibly out of date..
   
  Best wishes

  Alan




  Bickerton, Roderic K (SELEX) (UK) wrote:




    Does anyone know if there are any plans to restore the bells at this, 
    or any other, Norwich tower? 

    There have been a couple of letters about St Andrews, and there are
    chimes at St Catharine, mile cross and S George toomland. I certainly
    have not heard of anything getting as far as an estimated proposal.
    Look at http://www.bellhistorians.org.uk/norwich/
    A very good on line reference.
    The "site has been created by David Bryant using information compiled
    by David Bryant and Rev'd David Cawley"

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