[Bell Historians] St. Mary's Denbigh

Tue Apr 15 14:43:20 BST 2008

From: bellhistorians at yahoogroups.com [mailto:bellhistorians at yahoogroups.com]
On Behalf Of David Cawley
Sent: Tuesday, 15 April 2008 6:39 PM
To: bellhistorians at yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [Bell Historians] St. Mary's Denbigh

As CJP has said, tower acoustics have so much to do with it. But I heard
Ballarat TH bells at Whitechapel before and after tuning, the latter process
having quite trandformed them. I can readily believe that they sound even
better in the tower.

As to Richard's claim for Pluckley (C&G Mears 1855), he must of course admit
to his tender years - I very much doubt if he rang there before they were
rehung in the early 60's. 

Yes I did!   They were truly dreadful in every respect, not helped, I seem
to remember, by having to stand on a pile of coke to ring one of them!   I
still admit to my tender years however :-)

R

----- Original Message ----- 

From: Richard <mailto:richard.offen at UfP-Vu3YJEMVPlL2M64kyumN7CdYNmh6auYrHDCOQ6G2VtH6I58PuC6SYRzLF_WkgoSlzMtIuHw1FWSORcI6a5U.yahoo.invalid>  Offen 

To: bellhistorians@ <mailto:bellhistorians at yahoogroups.com> yahoogroups.com 

Sent: Tuesday, April 15, 2008 9:49 AM

Subject: RE: [Bell Historians] St. Mary's Denbigh

I am told that Ballarat Town Hall (M & S 1869), tuned by Whitechapel a few
years ago, are superb too, but I haven't yet rung there ...been to a formal
dinner in the hall, but not rung there!

R

-----Original Message-----
From: bellhistorians@ <mailto:bellhistorians at yahoogroups.com>
yahoogroups.com [mailto:bellhistorians@
<mailto:bellhistorians at yahoogroups.com> yahoogroups.com]
On Behalf Of Simon Reading
Sent: Tuesday, 15 April 2008 4:43 PM
To: bellhistorians@ <mailto:bellhistorians%40yahoogroups.com>
yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [Bell Historians] St. Mary's Denbigh

Another good example is St Marie (RC) Cathedral, Sheffield (8, 25-0-4) 
cast by Mears in 1873, tuned by Taylors in the 1930's

Richard Offen wrote:
> 
> 
> Contrary to popular belief (an prejudice!) not all later nineteenth 
> century Whitechapel rings are bad. Certainly many of them have tuned 
> up to produce superb rings  Pluckley, Kent and St Philips Church Hill, 
> Sydney immediately spring to mind. Of course, there are others that 
> leave an awful lot to be desired!
> 
> 
> 
> Richard
> 
> 
> 
> ----------------------------------------------------------
> 
> *From:* bellhistorians@ <mailto:bellhistorians%40yahoogroups.com>
yahoogroups.com 
> [mailto:bellhistorians@ <mailto:bellhistorians%40yahoogroups.com>
yahoogroups.com] *On Behalf Of *Bickerton, 
> Roderic (SELEX GALILEO, UK)
> *Sent:* Monday, 14 April 2008 11:33 PM
> *To:* bellhistorians@ <mailto:bellhistorians%40yahoogroups.com>
yahoogroups.com
> *Subject:* RE: [Bell Historians] St. Mary's Denbigh
> 
> 
> 
> Why do they sound so good?
> 
> I thought I knew exactly what to expect from a 3/4 Tn 1873 Whitechapel 8.
> 
> Wrong, they are very good.
> 
> 
> 
> Is anything known, were they some sort of experiment, tuned by someone 
> different, cast by someone else under contract or what? 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> NBR 
> 
> " Denbigh, Clwyd
> S Mary
> Bell Weight Nominal Note Diameter Cast Founder Canons
> 1 4-2-10 F 27.00 " 1873 Mears & Stainbank Y
> 2 4-2-26 E 27.56 " 1873 Mears & Stainbank Y
> 3 5-1-23 D 29.75 " 1873 Mears & Stainbank Y
> 4 6-2-1 C 32.00 " 1873 Mears & Stainbank Y
> 5 7-1-2 Bb 34.25 " 1873 Mears & Stainbank Y
> 6 8-2-3 A 36.25 " 1873 Mears & Stainbank Y
> 7 10-0-11 G 39.50 " 1873 Mears & Stainbank Y
> 8 14-2-11 F 43.94 " 1873 Mears & Stainbank Y
> Source: Chris Pickford (WBF 1873 data); Tim Jackson
> 
> 
> 
> Contributed by: John Baldwin
> Last updated: 13/04/2008 "
> 
> 
> 
> I have been told that they are on offer for £22,000.
> The funds raised after removal costs and making good would be about
£5,000. 
> 
> That's not even the cost of one new bell. 
> The cost of installing a similar new peal of bells would be around
£150,000
> 
> 
> 
> These bells are of interest being possibly the best toned Victorian 
> ring of this weight to come out of Whitechapel.
> 
> 
> 
> The tower and bells were designed and built to complement each other all 
> being designed at the same time.
> Tower foundation stone 6 July 1871, bells cast 1873, church consecrated 
> 7 December 1875, although complete December 1874.
> 
> 
> 
> Bell installations are usually compromised by having to fit bells into 
> an early tower not designed for them.
> 
> 
> 
> The unity of design so very well exercised has produced to my mind a 
> unique example of Victorian excellence.
> 
> 
> 
> It is shocking to find that a chiming apparatus was fitted, probably 
> before the 1914/18 war which has prevented these bells from being rung, 
> full circle to produce the sound of ringing, which is part of the 
> heritage of these lands.
> In place the town has had the sound of a crude chiming device, which 
> produces a thin poor tone reminiscent of continental bells.
> 
> 
> 
> The excellence of the engineering results in the bells still being 
> capable of ringing as intended and capable of being restored to a 
> condition of being regularly rung for fairly modest expense, despite 100 
> years of neglect.
> 
> 
> 
> I hope that this asset is not destroyed for such a small financial gain. 
> 
> 
> 
> I have taken recordings inside and outside and provided they are o/k, 
> can be made available. 
> 
> 
> 
> SELEX Sensors and Airborne Systems Limited
> Registered Office: Sigma House, Christopher Martin Road, Basildon, Essex 
> SS14 3EL
> A company registered in England Wales. Company no. 02426132
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