[Bell Historians] Unpealed UK Rings of 8

[David Cawley]

Cawston have never been a ring of eight. The two smallest bells were added by John Taylor & Co in 1925 and were hung dead from the outset. They are placed on steel channel deadstocks spanning the central well of a remarkable, tall and massive medieval frame, probably as old as the magnificent tower. The frame has pairs of bells arranged in swastika formation around a central well.
At the same time, the fifth bell was recast and rehung - this is likewise hung dead on a steel channel deadstock, in its old position in the frame. 
In many respects therefore, Cawston are an (Unringable) ring reduced from 6 to 5, the former no.3 bell of six being now hung dead, and with two trebles for chiming only. 
The eight bells are sounded from a free standing Ellacombe rack on the 2nd floor of this huge and impressive 15th century tower. The six were formerly rung from the gallery below, itself a marvellous medieval construction, incorporating both the font crane and the sign of the former plow inn!
I inspected these bells when Norwich DAC Bells Adviser in 1976. The five ringing bells are no longer swung and have no ropes attached; the state of those of the treble of six, 2nd, 3rd and tenor is not very good. The 4th of six, recast in 1887 by Mears, for Day, is rather better. I had the bell rung up and concluded that a good deal of work would be necessary to the frame and all new fittings to the six largest bells, if ringing were safely to be undertaken here. To hang all eight would need a new frame. Rather like CJP on Stamford, I think that the present Cawston frame, a thing of massive beauty, and absolutely coeval with its tower, should at all costs be preserved; in any case, the bells really need to be lower in the tower.
There was a fair bit of ringing recorded on the old six, right up to and including 1887. Significantly the newspaper reports of the relevant dates mention many years' previous silence.

A very happy Christmas to all

DLC
    
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Nick Bowden 
  To: bellhistorians at yahoogroups.com 
  Sent: Thursday, December 24, 2009 5:58 PM
  Subject: [Bell Historians] Unpealed UK Rings of 8


    

  Can anyone add to this list of unpealed UK rings of 8?

  Baldersby
  Cawston
  Denbigh
  Hartington
  Leamington Spa, RC
  Stamford, S Mary
  Thorpe next Norwich

  Seasons Greetings
  Nick

             
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