Bell Tower - St.Michael's Church, The Street, Rendham, Suffolk. IP17 2AG. - Bell Towers on Waymarking.com

This Medieval parish church was restored in 1852 and has been awarded Grade II* listing. It is of a simple plan, nave, chancel, west tower, north porch, and north vestry. Built of random flint rubble with stone dressings, there are remains of old plaster-work on the east wall of the chancel, it has plaintiled roofs to the nave and porch, and slates to the chancel.

The tower is C15th, of four stages and has a crenellated parapet, there are diagonal buttresses to the west face, a two-light west window with a blocked niche above it, two-light Y-tracery bell chamber openings, and panelled flushwork to the parapet and buttresses. There is a ring of eight bells in the tower hung for ringing English style from the ground floor, and one clock bell, the clock face on the north side of the tower. The nave has two C15th windows (one largely original) and a blocked doorway to the south, and one two-light C15th window to the north. The simple C15th porch has a knapped flint facade and an empty niche over the doorway.

The C14th chancel has two broad lancet windows and a Priest's doorway to the south, one two-light Y-tracery window to the north and a four-light east window with intersecting tracery.The simple arch-braced nave roof is of six bays with moulded wallplates; there is no chancel arch.

The following is a table extracted from Dove's Guide for Church Bell Ringers showing the bell weights in kg, the sounding notes of the bells, and the bell founder.

          Bell 	  Weight         Note          Dated 	      Founder
            1     186.88          G            2003         Eijsbouts
            2     210.01          F#           2003         Eijsbouts
            3     222.26          E            1891         Llewellins & James
            4     247.66          D            1831         Thomas II Mears
            5     261.72          C            1891         Llewellins & James
            6     305.72          B           c1490         Reginald Church
            7     393.7           A            1622         William & John Brend
            8     542.95          G            2003         Eijsbouts
          clock   193.23                       1870         John Warner & Sons

Eijsbouts have been casting bells in Asten, Holland since 1947. They specialise in matching new bells to old rings. Peter Llewellin cast bells in Bristol from 1850 and in 1853 was joined by a Mr.James, the factory continued to cast bells until 1940. Thomas II Mears was part of the Whitechapel casting dynasty being the head founder between 1805 and 1844. Under his leadership there was a brief period, 1830 until 1841, when he also cast bells in Gloucester. The Whitechapel foundry was in use for over 250 years having moved there from Aldgate where Richard Chamberlain set up a foundry in 1420. Regretfully the Whitechapel foundry is to close in May 2017. Reginald Church cast bells in Bury St.Edmunds from 1470 to 1498. He was succeeded by Thomas. The Brend family cast bells in Norwich from 1564 until 1658, William was the third in line and John was his son. John Warner & Sons was the last name of the Warner firm founded in at Cripplegate, London in 1850 by John II Warner. John II was a successor of John I Warner who cast bells at the Whitechapel foundry.

Words from British Listed Buildings and Simon Knott's Suffolk Churches with additions from own on site observations.

Coordinates are for the north porch entrance.

Address of Tower: St.Michael's Church The Street Rendham, Suffolk UK IP17 2AG Still Operational: yes Number of bells in tower?: 9 Rate tower: Tours or visits allowed in tower?: Yes Relevant website?: Not listed

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