Bell Tower - St Cyr - Stinchcombe, Gloucestershire - Bell Towers on Waymarking.com

Bell tower of St Cyr, Stinchcombe, with a ring of 6 bells.

Stinchcombe, Glos S Cyr
Bells
Bell	Weight	Nominal	Note	Diameter	Dated	Founder	Canons	Turning
1	4-3-5	1313.5	E	27.75"	1971	Whitechapel Bell Foundry Ltd	F	N
2	4-2-13	1177.0	D	29.25"	1882	John Warner & Sons	R	Y
3	5-1-19	1052.5	C	30.50"	1882	John Warner & Sons	R	Y
4	6-0-24	988.5	B	33.00"	1971	Whitechapel Bell Foundry Ltd	F	N
5	8-0-15	877.5	A	36.25"	1884	John Warner & Sons	R	Y
6	9-3-20	784.0	G	38.25"	1882	John Warner & Sons	R	Y

Frames
Frame	Bells	Year	Material	Maker	Truss	Layout
1	1,2,4,5,6	1971	Cast iron	Whitechapel Bell Foundry
2	3	1971	Steel	Whitechapel Bell Foundry

SOURCE - (Visit Link)

"These bells were rehung in 1971 and are on modern fittings in a two tier metal frame. They were also fitted with an electronic chiming apparatus which was installed at the same time. There was a national outcry when the parishioners suggested that the bells should be hung dead, and sounded electronically. In the end, the compromise was to have both systems. In the evening after the dedication service, the tower was struck by lightning, putting the electronics out of action! The ringing chamber is down a few steps at the back of the church. The bells sound very nice and go well."

SOURCE - (Visit Link)

"This tower originally held just one bell, which in 1882 became the tenor to a new ring of six in F when Revd Cooper gave five bells in memory of his mother. However, on the afternoon of 22nd November 1883 the spire was struck by lightning and fell to the ground, the fourth bell being broken be falling masonry. It was recast in 1884. The spire was probably restored by the architect J.L. Pearson, who had restored the rest of the church in 1855 with the exception of the tower and porch. These are the oldest parts of the church, and probably date from the late 14th Century.

In 1967 the tower was found to be cracked, and the architect decreed that no further ringing should take place. Money was raised to restore the tower, and it was decided to rehang the bells in a new metal frame to lessen the risk of further damage to the tower. An order was placed with the Whitechapel Bell Foundry and all looked well until a crack was discovered in the crown of the tenor when it was removed from the tower. The parish felt it couldn't afford to have the bell recast, and contemplated rehanging the bells dead for electronic chiming.

There was much opposition to this proposal, particularly from the Gloucester & Bristol Diocesan Association, and the application was eventually heard in a Consistory Court in Gloucester on 19th September 1969 before the Chancellor of the Gloucester Diocese. He wisely gave no judgement, but instructed the Archdeacon of Gloucester to invigilate between the opposing parties to find a solution. A decision was finally made to rehang the bells for full-circle ringing, as well as installing an electronic chiming machine, and the cracked tenor would be recast into a new treble to form a lighter ring of six in G. The fourth was also recast to bring it into tune with the rest of the ring, the previous bell having been tuned to B^b.They were hung with cast iron headstocks in a two-tier cast iron and steel frame on RSJs, the Warner bells having their canons removed and being quarter turned.

The bells were rededicated on 18th August 1971, however later that evening the spire was once again struck by lightning, this time leaving the fabric unharmed but putting the electronic chiming machine out of action. It was soon repaired, but was out of action again in April 2006. There is a clock in the chamber above the ground floor Ringing Room. Weight-driven and automatically wound, its dials are on the east and west walls of the tower. The hour hammer is released electronically from the Ringing Room."

SOURCE - (Visit Link)

Address of Tower: St Cyr Church Road Stinchcombe, Gloucestershire England GL11 6BQ Still Operational: yes Number of bells in tower?: 6 Relevant website?: [Web Link] Rate tower: Not listed Tours or visits allowed in tower?: Not listed

Visit Instructions:
Please post an original picture of the tower taken while you were there. Please also record how you came to be at this tower and any other interesting information you learned about it while there.

Recent Visits/Logs:

Date Logged Log   01/05/2013 BRISTOLIAN visited it