Brighton, Former Church of the
Holy Trinity
Bell |
Weight |
Diameter |
Nominal |
Note |
Founder |
Cast |
Canon |
Hanging |
1 |
2-2-24 cwt |
24.00" |
1494.5 Hz |
F# |
Thomas II Mears |
1825 |
Removed |
Full Circle |
About the Bell
1 Bell, 2-2-24cwt in F#
Holy Trinity contained a single bell in an east-facing turret.
The church was built in 1817, to the design of A H Wilds. It was built Greek in style, containing a square tower, and portico. The tower remained empty and had a glass dome at the base to illuminate the church. 100
The photo below from Sussex-Opc shows how it initially look.
Holy Trinity contained a single bell in an east-facing turret.
The church was built in 1817, to the design of A H Wilds. It was built Greek in style, containing a square tower, and portico. The tower remained empty and had a glass dome at the base to illuminate the church. 100
The photo below from Sussex-Opc shows how it initially look.
In 1825, the church was bought by Rev Robert Anderson who removed most of the Greek features, and extended the church northwards. 100
After the alterations, the church looked like this:
After the alterations, the church looked like this:
In the same year, a single bell was supplied by Thomas II Mears of Whitechapel, weighing around 3cwt.
The bell measures 24.00" in diameter, and tuned to the key of F#.
It was cast with a conventional canon, that was strapped to a wooden headstock. There is no data to suggest how it was hung.
The inscription simply read:
1825
around the inscription band.
The moulding wires are in the conventional 2.2.2.3.2 configuration.
The greatest changes took place between 1885 - 1887. The church was redesigned by Somers Clarke and Micklethwaite, to its current day appearence.
The bell was no doubt rehung, possibly by Mears, in the lantern belfry.
Throughout the 20th century, the church began to notice a decline in congregation. It survived until 1984, though it was proposed for closure much earlier, and was declared redundant by the Bishop of Chichester on November 1st, 1984. 100
The church was converted into a museum, and then an arts center.
The following year, the Sussex Bell Restoration Fund took the bell into storage after it was removed from the Turret.
But what happened to the bell after this? 101
We now jump forward to 2010.
To help raise funds for the BRF, they sold the bell to the Keltek Trust, and was planned to be used as the clock bell at Little Paxton, St James, Cambridgeshire.
The bell was taken to Loughborough to be measured and tuned. 102 The bell ringers, who initially had 4 bells in a weak wooden frame, used this bell to augment to 6 with the help of another bell from Dublin, cast by John Murphy. 103
The tower clock was also overhauled.
The bell measures 24.00" in diameter, and tuned to the key of F#.
It was cast with a conventional canon, that was strapped to a wooden headstock. There is no data to suggest how it was hung.
The inscription simply read:
1825
around the inscription band.
The moulding wires are in the conventional 2.2.2.3.2 configuration.
The greatest changes took place between 1885 - 1887. The church was redesigned by Somers Clarke and Micklethwaite, to its current day appearence.
The bell was no doubt rehung, possibly by Mears, in the lantern belfry.
Throughout the 20th century, the church began to notice a decline in congregation. It survived until 1984, though it was proposed for closure much earlier, and was declared redundant by the Bishop of Chichester on November 1st, 1984. 100
The church was converted into a museum, and then an arts center.
The following year, the Sussex Bell Restoration Fund took the bell into storage after it was removed from the Turret.
But what happened to the bell after this? 101
We now jump forward to 2010.
To help raise funds for the BRF, they sold the bell to the Keltek Trust, and was planned to be used as the clock bell at Little Paxton, St James, Cambridgeshire.
The bell was taken to Loughborough to be measured and tuned. 102 The bell ringers, who initially had 4 bells in a weak wooden frame, used this bell to augment to 6 with the help of another bell from Dublin, cast by John Murphy. 103
The tower clock was also overhauled.
The Little Paxton Bell Appeal
Some of the partials in the waist and upper soundbow were flattened, and the canon was removed. The bell was turned by an unspecific amount to allow the clapper to strike a new area, helping the bell in the long run.
Photos of the inside of the bell show the clapper has been painted with anti slip muffle paint too.
The bell has a lovely patina created by many years of exposure to the sea air.
It is now hung for change ringing in a Z.1 frame.
After the removal of the Canon, and metal from tuning, the bell now weighs 2-2-24cwt, exactly a ton lighter than the tenor at Horsham.
The work was finished in 2011 by John Taylor & Co, giving our Brighton bell a new home and the opportunity to carry on pealing away.
To date (14/07/2023) 4 peals of minor have been rung on the new treble. 104
My biggest thanks goes to Annette Reed, Helen Young, Eric Young, and the rest of the ringers at Little Paxton who helped me create this page. They kindly supplied the audio recording and photos of the bell.
This brings us up to date with the bell's history.
Photos of the inside of the bell show the clapper has been painted with anti slip muffle paint too.
The bell has a lovely patina created by many years of exposure to the sea air.
It is now hung for change ringing in a Z.1 frame.
After the removal of the Canon, and metal from tuning, the bell now weighs 2-2-24cwt, exactly a ton lighter than the tenor at Horsham.
The work was finished in 2011 by John Taylor & Co, giving our Brighton bell a new home and the opportunity to carry on pealing away.
To date (14/07/2023) 4 peals of minor have been rung on the new treble. 104
My biggest thanks goes to Annette Reed, Helen Young, Eric Young, and the rest of the ringers at Little Paxton who helped me create this page. They kindly supplied the audio recording and photos of the bell.
This brings us up to date with the bell's history.
Recording of the bell:
How the bell is tuned in relation to the Nominal, using Simpson's theory.
Key [measured in cents]:
-99 ~ -90 -89 ~ -80 -79 ~ -70 -69 ~ -60 -59 ~ -50 -49 ~ -40 -39 ~ -30 -29 ~ -20 -19 ~ -10 -9 ~ -0
0 ~ 9 10 ~ 19 20 ~ 29 30 ~ 39 40 ~ 49 50 ~ 59 60 ~ 69 70 ~ 79 80 ~ 89 90 ~ 99+
-99 ~ -90 -89 ~ -80 -79 ~ -70 -69 ~ -60 -59 ~ -50 -49 ~ -40 -39 ~ -30 -29 ~ -20 -19 ~ -10 -9 ~ -0
0 ~ 9 10 ~ 19 20 ~ 29 30 ~ 39 40 ~ 49 50 ~ 59 60 ~ 69 70 ~ 79 80 ~ 89 90 ~ 99+
Hum - 384.5Hz - G-32
Prime - 675.5Hz - E+42
Tierce - 890.5Hz - A+21 (minor 3rd)
Quint - 1093Hz - Db-24
Nominal - 1494.5Hz - F#+17
Prime - 675.5Hz - E+42
Tierce - 890.5Hz - A+21 (minor 3rd)
Quint - 1093Hz - Db-24
Nominal - 1494.5Hz - F#+17
| brightonht1.mp3 |
Inscriptions:
*Underlined text is within the inscription band*
1 |
1825 |
Photographs:
*Click on the images to enlarge them*
Sources:
Cover Photo: https://s3.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/lbimg/101/380/934/101380934-14509-800.jpg
100 - https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_Trinity_Church,_Brighton
101 - Sussex County Association of Change Ringers Report 1985
102 - Sussex County Association of Change Ringers Report 2010
103 - https://dove.cccbr.org.uk/tower/12328
104 - https://felstead.cccbr.org.uk/tbid.php?tid=6915
Photo and Recording - Members of Little Paxton Church
Cover Photo: https://s3.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/lbimg/101/380/934/101380934-14509-800.jpg
100 - https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_Trinity_Church,_Brighton
101 - Sussex County Association of Change Ringers Report 1985
102 - Sussex County Association of Change Ringers Report 2010
103 - https://dove.cccbr.org.uk/tower/12328
104 - https://felstead.cccbr.org.uk/tbid.php?tid=6915
Photo and Recording - Members of Little Paxton Church
