St Andrew's Church Tower - Church Walk, Enfield, London, UK
N 51° 39.180 W 000° 04.941
30U E 701823 N 5726476
The bell tower is located at the western end of St Andrew's church in Enfield, north London.
Waymark Code: WMJC8G
Location: London, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 10/28/2013
Views: 3
The Enfield Bell
Ringers website tells us about the bells:
There are eight bells hung for change ringing in our
tower. The smallest and lightest bell is called the treble, the next is the
two (or second), then the three (or third), up to the heaviest, the eight,
or tenor. Our tenor is thought to be about 19 and 3/4 hundredweight, or
almost exactly one tonne.
As can be seen from the glimpses of breeze-blocks in the photographs below,
the openings to the outside have largely been blocked up, to reduce the
noise of the bells. We can further reduce the noise with wooden baffles
which block the remaining openings when we are practising.
We now have a camera in the belfry, so we can watch the bells in motion from
the ringing chamber. We also have the ability to silence the bells
completely to enable us to practice at unusual times - particularly valuable
for those just starting out, as we avoid annoying our neighbours.
The ninth bell is the sanctus bell - it is "hung dead" (poor thing!) which
means that it doesn't swing full circle like the rest of the bells, and can
only be used for chiming.
The same website
also tells us:
Church bell ringing is a thoroughly enjoyable and
deeply fascinating art. For many centuries church bells have proclaimed the
message of the Church to towns and villages. Ringing provides a valuable
opportunity for fellowship and for service within the life of a parish
church.
We ring our bells for
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Sunday service
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Weddings
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Special occasions
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Enjoyment and practice