Bell Tower - St Mary's Church, Helmingham Road (B1077), Helmingham, Suffolk, IP14 6EQ - Bell Towers on Waymarking.com

This estate and parish church is Grade I listed and is medieval with major alterations in the C19th. The rubble walling of the in-line chancel, nave, west tower and the south porch was mainly refaced in C19 with flushed flint rubble, there is much freestone dressing. The roofs are plaintiled with parapet gables and a large gabled plaintiled dormer with traceried window was added in the early C17th to accommodate the head of a large monument.

The fine west tower is by Thomas Aldrych of North Lopham and has a contract dated 1488, an inscription around the base reads in Latin: "SCANDIT AD ETHERA VIRGO PUERPERA VIRGULA JESSE",roughly translating to "Climbing to the sky Virgin Mother ROD JESSE", a reference to the Virgin Mary being the 'rod of Jesse's stem'. The previous ring of six bells hung here were cast in 1736 by Phelps and given to the church by the Tollemache family of Helmingham Hall. One bell of this ring now hangs in nearby Henley and is their third. The 'new'eight were also a gift to the parish by Wilbraham Tollemache, 6th Earl of Dysart of Helmingham Hall to commemorate victory at the battle of Waterloo in 1815, and cast by Thomas Mears of the Whitechapel Foundry in London.

In 1900 the bells were rehung by Messrs Bowell of Ipswich who used a timber two-tiered frame. A brass plaque records that 'These bells were re opened on 8th August 1900' and the 'The cost was defrayed by public Subscription'. However by the late 20th century this old two-tier timber frame was beginning to show signs of age and the bells were becoming increasingly difficult to handle. The PCC then launched a restoration project to have the bells rehung in a new frame the cost in the region of £100,000. This, and a retune, was carried out by the Whitechapel Bell Foundry in 2011.

Following is a table extracted from Dove's Guide for Church Bell Ringers showing the weights in kg, and sounding note of the bells.

          Bell    Weight     Note       Casting date         Founder
           1 	  271.70      D 	   1815 	Thomas II Mears
           2 	  305.72      C# 	   1815 	Thomas II Mears
           3 	  326.59      B	 	   1815 	Thomas II Mears
           4 	  394.63      A 	   1815 	Thomas II Mears
           5 	  451.32      G 	   1815 	Thomas II Mears
           6 	  518.46      F# 	   1815 	Thomas II Mears
           7 	  733.00      E 	   1815 	Thomas II Mears
           8 	  908.99      D 	   1815 	Thomas II Mears

Thomas Mears II cast bells at the Whitechapel Foundry from 1805 to 1844, the foundry having been started by Robert Chamberlain about 1420. The Mears family was involved from 1781 when Chapman & Mears cast bells. The succession of Mears founders included William, Thomas I, Thomas II, Charles and George. (Info from the Bell Founders Database).

Messrs Bowell carried out a bell founding business in Ipswich from 1893 until 1939, they were father and son, from 1920. Bell founders often carried out re hanging work as an adjunct to their main business.

The given co-ordinates are for the south porch.

Address of Tower: St Mary's Church Helmingham Road (B1077) Helmingham, Suffolk UK IP14 6EQ Number of bells in tower?: 8 Rate tower: Tours or visits allowed in tower?: Yes Still Operational: Not Listed Relevant website?: Not listed

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