Bell Tower - St Michael - Budbrooke, Warwickshire - Bell Towers on Waymarking.com

"The tower is sited at the west end of the church building. It was probably built in the 13th century and it would appear that at one time it supported a steeple. A report from a Diocesan inspection of 1667 reads in part -

" We find the Parish church in pretty good repair, only the steeple having fallen in near 12 years..."

Just above the original lowest stage there is the date 1668, which would indicate a major reconstruction of the upper stages of the tower (in response to the Diocesan inspection?) when Samuel Hawes was Vicar.

The tower underwent a major refurbishment in 1988/89, including stone replacement, reroofing and overhaul of the bells. The latter was not before time as the contractors found the supporting bolt on one bell was "hanging on by a thread".

The tower houses a number of facilities. A ground floor vestry, which became the Facilities Manager's weekday office but is now used as a meeting room, and a place for small children and their parents during services.

Above the vestry is a meeting room, constructed in the 1970s and originally used for the youngest Sunday School group. It then became a prayer room.

Above the occupied spaces is storage space and above that the belfry.

The Bells

The belfry in the tower houses 3 bells, although there is a void left for a fourth bell.

Bell 3 dated 1600, by Newcombe and Watts

Bell 1 dated 1637, by Hugh Watts of Leicester

Bell 2 dated 1724, by Joseph Smith

These bells were returned to the bellfounders in 1989 for refurbishment and then rehung, but (for structural reasons) this was only for swing chiming, not for full-circle chiming.

A short account in the booklet 'The Story of Sherbourne' indicates that one of the bells may have been seized from Sherbourne Church by the people of Budbrooke in payment of a debt. Another account suggests that it was the tenor bell and it was 'borrowed' to ring at a wedding and never returned."

SOURCE - (visit link)

Address of Tower: St. Michael Church Lane Budbrooke, Warwickshire England CV35 8QL Still Operational: no Number of bells in tower?: 3 Relevant website?: [Web Link] Rate tower: Tours or visits allowed in tower?: Not listed

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