Holy Trinity Church
Eccleshall, Staffordshire
www.holytrinitychurcheccleshall.co.uk updated Wednesday May 27, 2009

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THE TOWER BELL RINGERS

 

 

 

Holy Trinity Church tower, Eccleshall

 


Architecture

Three architectural styles can be seen in the tower; the lower part is early English, built in the 13th Century; the middle part is Decorated; and the upper part, which houses the bells, is Perpendicular.

The diagram shows a typical layout of a church tower with bells, although at Eccleshall we have a clock chamber between the belfry and the ringing room.
 


Ringing Room - 312 steps above ground

Eccleshall has a ring of eight bells and a small 'call bell' that is used when a band of ringers is not available. The rope for the call bell passes through to the rear of the church and the ring of eight bells, which form a chromatic octave, are rung in this room.

On starting to ring we sound the bells in sequence from the lightest, known as the treble through to the heaviest, known as the tenor. We can then vary this sequence either by calls being made to tell certain bells to swap place (known as call change ringing) or by each ringer changing the position of their bell according to a pre-arranged pattern ( known as change ringing). Various change ringing patterns or 'methods' are displayed on the ringing room notice board.
 


The entrance to the tower and the bell ringing room. The size of the doorway gives visitors an idea of how narrow and tight the steps are. Medieval and castle like.


Clock Chamber - 53 steps above ground

This chamber contains a hand wound clock manufactured in 1899 by Joyce of Whitchurch, Shropshire. It drives the clock faces on the outside of the tower and a wire connected to a 'hammer' in the belfry strikes the tenor bell on the hour and half hour. During ringing this hammer is wound back to prevent if obstructing the path of the tenor bell.
 


Bell Chamber - 77 steps above ground

Originally Eccleshall possessed a ring of six bells in a  wooden frame. The larger five bells were cast by Abraham Rudhall of Gloucester in 1710 and it is also possible that he cast a sixth bell at the same time. There were certainly six bells by 1873 when the lightest bell was sent for recasting to Taylor's bell foundry in Loughborough.

By 1948 the bell frame had become unsafe and ringing was halted. Eventually in 1954, the old frame was replaced by a steel 'A' frame and all the bells were rehung on ball bearings. The new frame had an extra two spaces and these were duly filled in 1956 by the addition of two bells, the gift of the Lowe family of Sugnall.


 


Ringing the Bells

The bells are bolted to metal beams known as 'headstocks' and these rotate at either end in a sealed ball race, making the bells easy to move. Attached to the headstock is a wooden wheel that guides the bell rope. When rung, the bells are spun in a complete circle and balanced in the mouth upwards position after each stroke. This allows the time interval between strokes to be controlled so that the bells can be rung in a n orderly manner. At the end of ringing the bells can be rested against a wooden stay that prevents the bell from turning all the way over.

The ringers practice every Monday evening and would welcome new members to join the happy throng.
 

 

The Parish Church of

Holy Trinity

www.holytrinitychurcheccleshall.co.uk

Our website was last updated on Wednesday May 27, 2009